The End, The Beginning
by starpower31
Summary: "Are you guys lunatics? Edward is not some mob boss!" My life was supposed to be perfect. Everything was done - I was going to London. But then... Agent Jacob Black came into my life. And with him, came Edward. Now that they're here, I'm surrounded in a world of crime I can't get out of. Is it wrong that I don't WANT to get out? AH. Might be a little graphic for some. Mafiaward.
1. Prologue

**Heyy guys! **

**Okay, so this is my new story, and despite what the prologue suggests, it's _not_ going to be that angst filled. Also, despite the prologue suggests, it will _not_ be a drabble. The chapters will range from 3000-4500 words. **

**About the updating schedule...I'll work on that :P**

**This is an All Human story.**

**Also, as some might think from the summary, Jacob and Bella are NOT lovers! That's all I can say for now. **

**That's all for now, I think.**

**Read away!**

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**Prologue**

He was the one, who I wasn't allowed to fall for. But I did.

He was the one, who I wasn't allowed to marry. But I did.

Now that we're together, can I still do what I set out to do in the first place?

The answer is plain and simple – no, I can't. And I won't.

Even if it's the right thing to do.

But everything's fair in love and war, right?

Let them come for me.

He'll protect me. He said so. He has always protected me.

"Bella, I love you forever. And I'll protect you from them, like I always have."

_Yes, baby, I know you will. I know you will._

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**Let me know if I should continue, and if you like it. I know the prologue's vague, but stay with me on this, will you? **

**I'll be waiting for your thoughts before the next chapter :)**

**Till the next time!**


	2. Chapter 1: London Dreams

**Heyy you guys! Here's the first chapter and I really hope you like it. Leave some thoughts if you do ;)**

**Beta'd by the awesome Heather and Ange.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Unfortunately.**

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** Chapter 1**

**London Dreams**

"Rosalie, I said I don't want to eat these stupid honey loops! I'm not a fucking kid anymore!" I yell.

"Don't shout at me, Bella! These are healthy, and they'll keep you sustained throughout the day. Don't come fainting back to me," she shouts back just as loud. _I might be a quick fainter…_

"Will you two just stop it already!" Emmett's loud voice booms through the house, shutting both of us up instantly. We glare at each other, and Rosalie points towards the idiotic loops and then towards me. I open my mouth to argue, but she just raises an eyebrow daring me to utter a word. I obediently finish up the bowl.

This is how everyday in the Swan-McCarty household begins. I, Bella Swan, live with my elder sister, Rosalie Swan-McCarty, and her amazing husband, Emmett McCarty. My parents got divorced when Rose was eighteen, and I was just fourteen. She moved out of Charlie's house and took me with her. Personally, I am glad not to be living in the middle of nowhere in Forks, with my dad; or in Phoenix, with my mom and her dense husband, Phil.

I much prefer to live in Chicago with Rose and Emmett. Plus, I am now twenty-one, having graduated from the University of Chicago, and will be going to the London School of Economics. Everything in my life is set, and I am loving every minute of it.

I rush out of the house, as I'm supposed to meet my friends, Angela, Mike, Jessica, Ben and Eric, at Metropolis Coffee in…precisely two minutes ago. _Late again._

"Bella, wait! You forgot the money." Rosalie comes out running and hands me my wallet with a grin. "And here I thought you weren't a 'fucking kid' anymore." Bitch. Eh, I won't survive without this bitch – love her to bits.

"Yeah, yeah, you got me there, Blondie," I dismiss her as she slaps me on my arm and kisses me goodbye. I shout a goodbye to Emmett and drive my Chevy truck out of their magnificent driveway.

Emmett is a renowned heart surgeon, and Rosalie is a hot shot dentist. Both of them attend to all the big shots of Chicago and make tremendous money in doing so. Rosalie wanted to buy me a Merc when I turned seventeen, but I chose to use the money I'd been saving up since I was seven to buy myself an old Chevy –a third-hand, rusty truck. I fell in love with it immediately, and I was still using it. Rosalie keeps it in usable condition with her crazy mechanic skills, though not without complaining when she needs to get under the "rusty old hag".

I pull into the coffee shop and run inside only to see an angry as fuck Angela fuming and Mike trying to pacify her. The rest of them simply don't seem to care and are typing away on their Blackberrys.

"I'm so so sorry I'm late," I say, kissing everyone's cheek and stopping sheepishly at Ange. "Eh…my car broke…?" I rack my brain for some good excuse, but by the look on her face, I can tell that she knows the real reason I'm fifteen minutes late – Bella can't wake up on time.

"Okay, okay, I'm sure you can forgive me _today_ of all days? I'm sorry." I give her my best puppy dog eyes, and I can already see the smile forming on her face. Boo ya!

"Come here you," Angela says, hugging me tightly. She's been my best friend for seven years now, ever since I moved to Chicago. A more kinder, gentler and understanding human being than my Angie was not possible.

All of us sit down and order tons of stuff. Well, it's my treat today, and I have savage beasts as friends, so I can expect the bill to be something big. The food comes out, and we chat, gossip, eat and act like total goofballs. Mike and Ben have a competition of who can down a Hershey's bottle of chocolate syrup faster. Eric stays out of this as he is lactose intolerant; he stays out of the pizza hogging fight as he has an acne problem wherein he can't touch grease; he stays out of covering the other person's nose till they're red in the face contest because he has asthma; he stays out of… Eh, the list is never ending. The poor guy is eating a fat-free chicken wrap, and looking quite happy doing that. I look down at my pepperoni pizza and think, _I can never understand Eric._

During all this time, I've had an uneasy feeling in my gut like someone is watching me. I look around for the hundredth time, but spot nothing and no one out of the ordinary. This is infuriating me more and more because I'm a cop's daughter, and I just _know_ when something's not right. My parents and Rosalie have drilled it into my head to always follow my "woman's instinct" (the thing I'm having now), because it's always right. So, I pay the bill and say short goodbyes to my confused group of friends and hurry out of there. Better safe than sorry.

I reach home and take a long nap, getting up when I hear Rosalie screaming her head off. Something hits me hard on my shin and I yelp in pain just as Rose shouts, "I've been trying to wake you up for the past fifteen minutes, you lazy bum! Get your ass off that bed and get packing! It's eight o'clock, and you have a flight in the morning. How irresponsible can you be, Bella?"

"Hey, hey go easy on the kid here." Emmett rushes to my side wrapping me in a tight hug. "She'll pack right now, won't she?" he says to Rosalie looking pointedly at me.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm packing. I'm just left with the books and my undergarments, Rose. Gosh, you worry too much!" I laugh and peck Emmett on the cheek, heading to the bathroom to wash up. I can hear Em and Rose arguing in hushed tones and on listening closely I figure out they're having _that _discussion again. _That_ discussion where Rosalie says that I'm not responsible enough to be living alone in a foreign country and Emmett says that I will never grow up unless she stops babying me.

_Riiight._

I've packed all my four suitcases plus one duffle bag in precisely two hours. I head down the stairs, and towards the entertainment centre where I can hear Emmett shouting at Rosalie to play it right.

"Ugh! I'll go call Bella so that she can beat your ass at Guitar Hero and put you in your place, you bear." I hear Rose letting out an exasperated sigh as she bangs down her guitar and pokes her tongue at Emmett.

"Pfft! Puh-lease! Bella and beat me? Not even in her dreams!" he scoffed.

"We'll see, you loser," I say as I enter and smack Emmett on the ass, picking up the guitar and strapping it on. Rosalie hoots and laughs, and her laugh is like the tinkling of bells. Sometimes, I wish I could be as beautiful as my sister.

"Woo hoo! Look who's here. Little belly button fighting the mighty Hulk." Emmett laughs at his own dumb comparison like the moron he is while Rose and I just stare at him awkwardly.

"She cheated! I'm telling you she cheated, Rosie," Emmett wails into Rosalie's lap as I finish playing the last strings and win by a landslide. _Famous heart surgeon my ass._

"Oh, please," I scoff. "I won fair and square," I say emphasizing each word. Emmett glares at me and then marches out of the room.

Rosalie shakes her head and goes out of the room behind him jerking her head for me to follow. She stops in the kitchen and asks Tanya, our housekeeper, to clean the mess in the entertainment centre. Rosalie heats up a plate of homemade (more like Tanya-made) fettuccini for me, and we laugh at Emmett's expense.

"I better go cheer him up." She winks at me, putting the plate in front of me and exits the kitchen. I shudder thinking about how she will _cheer him up_. I eat up everything hungrily and down a huge glass of Coke along with it.

After we moved to Chicago, and Rosalie and Emmett met in med school, everything was smooth sailing. Sure, it was tough in the first two years, but we managed pretty well with the Child Support money for me from my parents and the money the three of us made from our part-time jobs. A year into their marriage, Rosalie found that she couldn't conceive and was completely distraught. She had always taken care of me like a mother, and after the incident, we unknowingly fell into the pattern of a normal family. Rose and Em loved me and took care of me like I was their own child, and I loved them both to bits. Some may not believe me, but I never miss my parents; never had the need to. We haven't spoken to them in these seven years, except to invite them for Rosalie's wedding, for which they failed to turn up. That was the last I heard from Charlie and Renee.

_**~TETB~**_

"I'm," Sob, "going to," Sob, "miss you so much, Bellaaa!" Full on bawling eyes out now.

"Now, now, you'll come to London every four months, and I'll visit every chance I get. We'll talk on the phone and Skype everyday. You know I love you." A pat on the head from me and lines of worry on my forehead, for my new cashmere sweater getting drenched in tears.

"But I'm so used to having you strutting around the house all the time! How am I going to live without you?" Another long wail.

"You won't have to! I'll be back before you know it."

"But Rose can't even cook." Emmett cried and bursts into a new round of tears. _God help my sweater!_ Yes, it is Emmett, the mighty Hulk, crying in the arms of little belly button in a full Chicago airport. Rose is standing in the sidelines watching in amusement while Angela is trying to contain her giggles.

"Uh, Emmett, I swear I love you to bits, but people are watching and it's a little…embarrassing." I blush as I see about ten people who have stopped walking and are standing around us watching the show.

He finally lets go of me after another ten minutes of hugging and listing all the things Rose can't do and I can. "Be safe and take care of yourself, okay? I love you, honey." He kisses me on the forehead and then seeing the McDonald's nearby, scurries off with sparkling eyes to buy himself tons of calories and cholesterol. _Again I say, heart surgeon my ass._

I turn to Rosalie and see tears in her eyes. I take an involuntary step back fearing another half an hour of sobbing and sniveling. She laughs and hugs me tightly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to embarrass you anymore than you already have been." I let out a sigh of relief and kiss her sideways, hugging her tighter. "Just please take care of yourself, Bella. Sleep on time, don't forget to get up, none of your bratty business up there, eat on time, actually please don't forget to EAT, always keep your cell phone on – I should be able to talk to you anytime I want – and please, please be responsible!"

"Jeez, woman, take a breath. I'm going to London, not Africa. I think I'll be able to manage," I remind her, and she lets go of me still sniveling a little, but the grin is now on her pretty face.

"Did you take your passport and ticket?" _What does she think I am? I wouldn't forget my passport and ticket!_

"Of course I did, _mom._ I'm going abroad! I think I'm old enough not to forget my fucking passport and ticket. Such little trust," I mutter.

She raises an eyebrow and asks me, "So where are they?"

"In my carry-on bag." _Duh!_

She reaches into her purse and takes out…my passport and ticket.

Oh.

"You left it on the dresser." She hands them to me, and I look anywhere but at her eyes. "Bella, are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, it's not too late to change your mind. You can still continue your education here in the States," she starts pleading again.

"Rosalieee! Yes, I'm sure. I'm going to the London School of Economics! How many people can say that they got the chance? I'll be fine, I promise." _Or at least try my best_, I add in my head.

"Okay, okay, you better say goodbye to Ange. Your flight is scheduled in forty minutes. You need to get in," she says hugging me one last time. I inhale her flowery scent, and my eyes sting with tears.

"Bye, Rose," I whisper.

"Bye, Bella." She kisses my head and both cheeks, wiping away the tears with her thumbs.

I say my goodbyes to Ange, and then with a last wave, I'm off.

_London, here I fucking come!_

I go through all the procedures at the airport, giddy with excitement. This year is full of promises and new beginnings. I'm going to have the time of my life and enjoy every second in my new home. I was going to have sex with hot British boys. The thought of it alone had me squealing in my head like nobody's business.

I settled in the waiting area with the earplugs in my ears and _Looking For Alaska_ in my hand. This was my travelling book, and I read it over and over again every time I travel.

"_Flight number 3015, all passengers going from Chicago to Heathrow Airport, London, to please proceed towards the check-in area. Thank you." _

I jump up from my seat and hurry towards the line and towards the plane taking me to London.

"Excuse me? Isabella Swan?"

I turn around as I feel a slight tap on my shoulder and come face to face with a fucking tall, dark and handsome man wearing an official looking suit.

"Uh…yeah?" It sounded like a question even to my ears. _Have I ever seen him before? I think I would've definitely remembered meeting him._

"Hi, I'm Jacob Black from the FBI." He stands up straighter and extends his large hand for me to shake.

"The-the what?" I ask, shocked out of my mind. Why was the FBI looking for me? I hadn't got a hundred speeding tickets yet, only eighty-seven, and they were in Rosalie's name anyway since it had been her car I'd been driving every time. _I heard they only came to detain you when you got more than a hundred tickets… oh shit, shit, shit, shi –_

"The FBI, miss. If you would be so kind as to come with us, we'd like to ask you a few questions," he says in a stern voice, motioning with his hand for me to follow. That gets my attention, and I stand my ground.

"What do you mean you have some questions? Look, I'm sure you have the wrong Isabella Swan because I don't even know any criminals!" I cry and _now I think I'm going to start panicking._

"I'm pretty sure I have the right one," he mutters looking at me…no _glaring_ at me creepily.

"Whatever. Look, Mr. Black, I have a flight to catch, so whatever it is, it can wait. You can either call me, and I'll gladly answer all your questions, or you can wait till I come back. Okay? Now please, if you will excuse me," I say hurriedly and turn on my heels and start to walk away without waiting for a response.

"It's about Edward Cullen. I think you might know him," he hollers from far behind me since I've managed to _run_ away from him.

I freeze in my tracks and turn to him wide-eyed. _I haven't heard that name in years._

"Ah, so you do know him, Miss Swan."

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**Well? Should I continue? Review and let me know please :)**


	3. Chapter 2: True to Life

**Hii people! This chapter says a lot :) I hope you like it!**

**Ange and Heather filter through my idiotic mistakes. Gotta love 'em.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. *hides from the FF police***

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**Chapter 2**

**True to Life**

_**Forks, 2004**_

_It was the last week of the summer break, and I was thirteen while he was fifteen years old. He said he wanted to play carrom – he knew he'd win with only my clumsy fingers and horrible aim against his "expertise". When you lived in Forks,you played the most random games to simply pass the time. All morning and afternoon we were sprawled on the floor of my room drinking pitcher after pitcher of chilled lemonade. He had managed to pocket most of the coins and was now aiming for the queen, after giving me the first strike which allowed me to pocket only two, and I never had a chance with the striker again._

_I was getting irritated, and I playfully toppled over the board, laughing, expecting him to follow when I ran out into our front lawn. But when I turned, I saw that he was picking up his backpack and heading towards his home._

_I ran to him in confusion and said, "Hey, where are you going? Don't you wanna…?"_

"_Don't I wanna what, Bella?" He knew exactly what I was talking about, but he was going to make say it._

"_Don't you wanna kiss me?" I blurted. His mouth popped open, and his backpack fell from his grasp, all the CDs he'd spent the summer compiling, rolled out on the grass. He stood there gaping at me like I had two heads or something._

_He finally cleared his throat and smirked. "Well, let's go inside."_

_We were both giggling like the horny teenagers we were as he pressed my back to the wall of my room. The first few kisses were a little sloppy, but once we got the hang of it, five minutes turned into ten…ten into thirty...and second base was _right_ on the edge when the voices of my parents arguing began floating up to my room. Our moment was lost, and we separated with one chaste kiss._

_That was the first time I kissed my geeky best friend, Edward Cullen._

_**~TETB~**_

"…and as I was telling you, he's the most feared man in the western mafia world and a notorious drug lord. We believe he's still…_attached_ to you. No, not attached, he's still in love with you, Miss Swan, and we need your help to bring him down." I had tuned out Mr. Black for a bit, as I was reminiscing about my good old times with Edward. I catch his last words, and all I can think is… _Is this some sick joke?_

"Wait. So you're saying that you want my help to bring down the big bad Edward Cullen? The Edward Cullen from_ Forks,_ who wore braces and had a nervous stutter?" I stare at Mr. Black, amused.

"Yes. Though I'm pretty sure he doesn't wear braces anymore, and I'm absolutely positive that he does not have a _nervous_ stutter," he snorts.

"Look, Mr. Black, I respect the FBI. I really do. But are you guys fucking lunatics? Edward is _not_ a drug lord. He could never be." I am so mad right now that I can kill someone and not regret it.

First, I have been reminded of someone about whom I'd forgotten a long time ago with a lot of effort to block his memory from my brain. Second, he wanted me to believe that he is some drug lord, planning something "big" in Chicago. Third, I was fucking forced by an idiot from FBI (albeit a hot idiot) to miss my flight, and now, I was stuck in the Chicago airport rather than on my way to London. Not only that, he also wouldn't allow me talk to Rose or Emmett, so they thought that I was on my merry fucking way to London.

_Yeah, not so much._

He sits up straighter, and looks at me accusingly. "Why are you so sure? Have you been in touch with him?"

"What? No! it's just that he's…_Edward_! He wanted to become a symbology _professor_ for crying out loud!"

"Look, Bella, we can either do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way." _Say what now? Who the hell did Mr. Tall, dark and handsome think he is?_ He did not just _threaten_ me. He needs my help, not the other way round, and I'll make sure he remembers that.

I can feel the anger boiling up inside me, and I look him dead in the eye and start, "You _look_, Mr. Black. First of all, the name is _Isabella_. No one, and I mean _no one_, calls me Bella without my permission. Secondly, I refuse to believe for one moment that Edward Cullen from Forks High is some bad-ass mafia boss now. Thirdly, how is that even _possible_? His dad's a…I don't exactly know what he does…but whatever, and his mom is an interior decorator! Fourthly, what in the name of God makes you think that he's still in love with me after all these years? We were _fourteen,_ Mr. Black, we were _kids_! This is absurd. Fifthly, what makes you think I'll agree to this anyway? You want me to go on a spy mission and extract information from someone who probably doesn't even remember me? What do you think this is – Mission Impossible? Look, Mr. Black, I am an average twenty-one year old American, with average dreams about money and sex, okay? Sixthly, Rose would never allow me to do this. Not that I want to, anyway. So it's a moot fucking point."

He calmly stares at me as I finish my rant, and then starts, "Yes, you know your numbers – one, two, three, four, five and six. Congratulations. You ask a lot of questions, you know? And you speak very crass for a girl; we'll have to change that."

"You think this is funny, Mr. Black? I am here with you wasting my time, listening to you about some _other _Edward Cullen, while I should be on flight number 3015!" I screech, seething now. I just wanna get away from this creep.

His eyes get harder than they already were, and he coldly says, "I certainly do not think this is funny, Miss Swan, but I think that you do. Would you please calm down, and let me explain?"

"Okay, I am calm. Now talk." I take a deep breath.

He looks at me like I'm some irritating child who's throwing a tantrum. _I have decided – I don't like Mr. Tall, dark and handsome. Fuck him._

"Edward Cullen is a made man who worked for ex-mafia boss Aro Volturi – whose partner by the way was Carlisle Cullen – for three years, before he got Aro and his two brothers murdered. This was about a year ago. Now, at the age of twenty-three, Cullen, along with his father, is the head of Volterra Inc., and basically, the head of the entire mafia world in the west. He smuggles drugs, diamonds and exclusive cars in and out of the country. The sheer number of young people who fall prey to their traps are uncountable. We've been doing some digging for a while, and we've found that he's been planning something big right here in Chicago. We have no leads; so it could be anything. His family is one of _those_ mafia families; boss, capos, made men, wives, sisters, children, the whole deal. _This_, Miss Swan,is Edward Cullen, or EC as his people call him, from Forks."

I stare at him, with my jaw somewhere on the floor, stunned beyond words. This is so much bigger than I thought. _Edward Cullen? Really?_ It's like someone came and told you that Harry is the bad guy in the end in Harry Potter. _So that's why the Cullens were beyond rich. That's why Carlisle was rarely home._ He sits back and just looks at me, probably giving me some space to process all this information.

_Yeah, I might need a moment…or fifty._

"Okay. I…get it. I guess, I…believe you. But what does this have to do with…me?" I whisper in a small voice. "If what you've just told me is true, then I'm pretty sure Edward's forgotten all about me. If this thing he's planning is so huge, and none of the feds are able to scope out anything, there's no way I could strut in there and he'd confess everything to me. He wouldn't even remember my name; what makes you think he's in _love_ with me? It's been too long, Mr. Black."

He looks at me intently for some time as if deciding on something. I'm guessing he was wondering if it was safe to tell me one of their "undercover secrets" to convince me to work as a spy or whatever for them.

_Whatever, it's not like I would ever agree to this. I have a real life, thank you very much!_

"Isabella, I'm pretty sure he's still in love with you," he says very seriously, not a hint of humor on his face. Maybe I want to believe him…but it's been years. There's no way. If he truly did love me, he would've contacted me, right?

"Mr. Black, I –"

"I have pretty solid proof too. It might be a bit…overwhelming. You think you can take it?" he asks, sounding actually concerned for the first time in the last hour.

I nod and let out a breath, calming my nerves. "Yeah, it can't be that bad."

"Cullen owns the best clubs, bars, pubs and restaurants all over the country. These are all high end venues that are mighty important in his line of…_work_. He needs them as a cover for the dirty business deals that go on there. The names of all those places are related to…you."

I gasp and slump in my seat. _He named all those places with me in mind?_

Mr. Black continues, "The best Italian restaurant in Port Angeles – La_ Bella _Italia, owned by Edward Cullen. The best pub in New York – _Bella _Mia, again owned by Cullen. The best bar in Boston – _Bel _Piatoo, Cullen. The best club in Phoenix – _Bella_ Luna, need I say, owned by Cullen. And one of the most romantic restaurant in the country, right here in Chicago – Il Cigno Bella – Cullen's most prized piece of property; he's often seen there. And if I'm not wrong, it translates to 'the lovely swan'."

_I've been to Il Cigno Bella! So many times! And now to think that Edward…FUCK ME!_

_I remember vaguely…Esme being Italian, and Edward speaking with her more than a few times in Italian. I also remember finding it an instant turn-on._

"I…don't know…what to say," I whisper, memories of my time with Edward flying by one-by-one in front of my eyes. "I…it's not possible. It must be a coinci –"

"It's not a coincidence, Isabella. You both are from Forks, aren't you?" He goes on without waiting for an answer. "You wanted to become a doctor and own your own children's hospital didn't you, Isabella?" This time, he pauses, and I nod. "Cullen just inaugurated a new hospital in Forks named, The I.M.S. Center for Children. The full form of I.M.S. was not given out, but can you guess what it might be?"

_I.M.S. _

_Isabella Marie Swan._

My eyes are as big as saucers, and I can feel the involuntary tears running down my cheeks. I feel like he's paying homage to me or some shit. Don't you name all these hospitals after dead people you once loved?

_Edward…_

All this time, all these years, he's still been in love with me? Why didn't he try to find me? I'd told him when I left that I would come if he called. But he never did. I forced myself to forget all about my first love; I forced him the _fuck_ out of my system, and he let me suffer. He suffered with me. _Why?_ The fact that he suffered, _still_ suffers, hurts so much more than my own wounds. I'm pretty sure I don't love him now; it's been seven years. But it still hurts. Hurts like fuck to think about it.

I'm brought out of my musings when Mr. Black mutters, "Do you still think it's a coincidence?"

"I really don't know what I think anymore, Mr. Black," I reply truthfully.

"Well," he scoffs. "The mafia blood was always running through his system. I'm surprised he's emotionally fixated on one woman. From what I hear, he is definitely not _physically_ fixated on one woman."

I look at him in surprise, a little hurt, and feel the bile rising up my throat. I quickly change the topic.

"So all these names were what led you to me? Is that it? I mean, they could've meant anything. How did you know about me?" _I really do ask a lot of questions. _

"Of course not!" He looks at me like I committed a crime even thinking that they would rely on that information. "We have our ways to find out information. Let's just say, what gave him out were one too many trips to Forks on specific dates every year, doing nothing but standing in front of the Chief's house and later eating alone at the local diner; and a huge blown up picture of a fourteen year old you in his house. Of course, his insistence to name every place with 'Bella' or 'Swan' in mind were a give away too."

_Was he really so in love with me still? He goes to Forks on specific dates. I am pretty sure I know what they are. _It was still so so hard to process all this thrown in my face. _And to think I'd forgotten about him in the last four years._

"Okay, I believe you. And I understand the fix you are in too. Trust me, I do. But what do you want me to do? Become a spy? _Pretend_ to love a man who so dearly, truly loves me? You do know that he was my first love too, don't you? What if I fall for him again? Then what, hmm?"

He smirks and says arrogantly, "Because I know _you_, Isabella. And I know how much you _hate_ lies, I can tell. The world he lives in, there's not a speck of truth in there. Once you're introduced to him and his lifestyle, you'll grow to detest him almost as much as me."

He is right. I can never fall for a man who does all this fucked up shit. But behind all his words, I can sense something else. Almost like some…personal conflict with Edward? _It's just your overly enthusiastic imagination again. Drop it. _So I did.

"Okay, you're right," I mutter.

_Damn, I need to get out of this mess and onto the next flight to London._

"So do you agree to help us?" He eagerly shifts forward in his seat, his eyes shining like it was motherfucking Christmas! _Idiot._

"Uh, yeah, look, about that…I-I'm not too su –"

My phone starts ringing in my hand, and I instinctively pick it up.

"Hello?" I say.

Suddenly, Mr. Black is in my face, his eyes big and shocked, and his mouth in a furious sneer. He's looking at the phone in my hand when I realize what I've done.

_I am supposed to be on a flight! My phone is supposed to be off! Fucking hell. Shit!_

"Bella? You picked up? Aren't you on the flight?" I realize it's Angela, and her voice seems almost hoarse and dry…like she's been…crying?

"This is just a little stopover, you called at the right time. But that's not the point. Ange, have you been crying?" I ask and hear her snivel on the phone. "Uh…Ange, don't be so upset that I'm not there. I mean, I'll be back in no time. You don't have to cry."

"No, Bella, it's not that," she snivels again. What the hell?

"So what is it, Ange?"

"Something…bad has happened back home. I…had to let you know."

My blood runs cold as I think about all the worst case scenarios. _If Ange says it's bad, it must be catastrophic!_

"Angela, what is it?" I whisper. "Is it Emmett? Rose? Tell me!" I beg. My mind is going crazy with all the horrid images running through it.

"Bella, it's Eric. He-he…" she starts sobbing uncontrolabally. I feel helpless and scared. I'm so close to them all, yet so far.

"Ange, Angela, listen to me. I need you to tell me what happened. I need you to get a grip on yourself. Can you do that for me?"

I can almost see her nodding frantically and wiping at her tears.

"Bella, Eric's dead."

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**Till the next time *blows a kiss***


	4. Chapter 3: Falling Down

**Hii, people! Here's the next chapter. I would've uploaded it earlier, but my computer stopped working like the little bitch it is. Well, here it is now!**

**Thanks for awesome beta skills - Heather and Ange.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. *hides from SM***

**Oh and translations in the end.**

**Enjoyy :)**

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**Chapter 3**

**Falling Down**

**BPOV**

_Dead. Dead. Dead._

The words echo in my head, making me numb inside and out. I think about when I first met Eric – I had paid him double to get me a cup of coffee, and we'd been friends ever since. I think about Eric laughing, smiling, cracking lame jokes, his pimple bursting, his face swollen up as he was allergic to peanuts. I think about Eric eating his chicken wrap when I met him yesterday.

Dead.

In a second. Just like that.

_How?_

I mutter into the phone, "I'm coming back."

And then I black out.

_**~TETB~**_

"Are you sure she can handle it, boss? She fucking _fainted_! What a wimp."

I wake up to a man calling me a wimp. _The_ _second I open my eyes, he's dead meat. Whoever he is._

"Can it, Seth. When did the doctor say she would come around?" Mr. Black sounds irritated. Well, whatever; I don't really give a damn as long as I can get home at the soonest.

I flutter my eyes open, and I see Mr. Black, and who I assume is Seth, hovering over me.

"Oh, thank God you're up. How do you feel, Isabella?" Mr. Black helps me up, and I'm quite surprised to hear the anxiety and worry in his voice. He pulls me into a sitting position, and I realize that we're still in the lounge at the airport.

I wince a little as my head hits the rest in the seat. I hear a snicker, and my eyes quickly cut to this _Seth_, and I snap, "I feel fine."

"Good. That's good. What was the call about?" Mr. Black gives Seth a pointed you-better-shut-up glare and then turns his attention back to me.

I ignore his question and ask one of my own, "How long was I out for?"

"About fifteen minutes. Now, the_ call_?" _Jeesh, pushy much?_

"It was from one of my friends back home – Angela. She called to inform me that…that Eric's dead," I whisper the last word and feel the tears pricking my eyes.

"And Eric is your…boyfriend?" _No, he's Angela's boyfriend, you nosy fucker._

"No, he is…he was a good friend. Eric was a good man, he didn't deserve to die so young." I feel overwhelmed in a way I've never felt like before. In a day, my life has turned upside down; quite literally. I feel as if I'm living in some alternate universe where the happy, simple life of Bella Swan does not exist. "I have to get home."

He nods. "Yes, of course. Well, you ought to be in Toronto right now, which was supposed to be your stopover." A wave of anger washes over me as I'm once again reminded of LSE. "So, considering that you would be on a flight back now, I think we should be ready to take you back in the next two hours."

"Okay."

I sit back and stick my earplugs into my ears just as Mr. Black starts to say something. I close my eyes when I see fury in his and settle contentedly to wait out the two long hours.

Three hours later, I'm running as fast as my legs will carry me towards Angela, who's waiting for me outside the airport. I can see Ange, Rose and Em, and I can see the tear-stricken face of my best friend. The three hours at the airport were probably the longest three hours of my life.

"Angie," I shout and crush her in a hug. We both break out into sobs, and I can hear Angela blubbering something.

"Syringe…heroin…wei...loss…hea…attack." Blubber. See what I mean?

Rose pats us both comfortingly on our backs and leads us towards her car. Once inside, Rose manages to calm us down and asks Ange to tell us what exactly happened.

Ange starts, "I-I went to Eric's as a surprise for celebrating our two hundred days together. I called out his name so many times; nobody else was home. I-I called out his name _again and again_, Bella, but he just wouldn't answer back. He didn't answer me, I was so scared, Bella, and now he…he…" My heart breaks for my best friend and I hold her in my helpless arms as she cries her heart out. It's a solid ten minutes before she continues, "I went up to his room, and I…saw him lying on the floor. The ro-room reeked of drugs, Bella. Eric was using, he-he said he would stop, but he _didn't_! HE DIDN'T! It killed him, Bella, it killed my Eric."

Eric was doing drugs? So he died of an…overdose?

_Oh my God…_

I had never known that he'd been using, or I would've stopped him a long time ago. Ange knew about it the whole time and never felt the need to tell me?

"What did the doctors say, Ange?"

"They said he couldn't br-breathe, that he didn't get enough oxygen. He-he became trapped in his own body, unable to speak or move, but still there _inside_. He had been conscious the whole time, Bella. He had known he was dying, and he must have heard me calling him too. They said I was late by seconds. I-I could've saved him, I could've saved my Eric."

_Fuck me. Conscious the whole time?_

It feels like something is breaking inside of me with every word she says. To think how slowly and painfully it ended for him, how he must have heard his girlfriend there, and he couldn't even call for help. And to think that Ange could've saved him.

I can see the guilt and self hatred on her face, when it strikes me that she holds herself responsible for his death. "You listen to me now, Angela Webber. It is not your fault that Eric isn't with us today. It was his choice to do drugs and hurt his body, while he knew full well the effects it could have. There's probably nothing you could've done to save him at that point. You are not responsible for anything! Do you understand me?"

She nods, but I can see that she doesn't believe me. I know her, and she needs time. They say time heals all wounds, but does it really? Aren't we the masters of our life, of our time? They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

"I can't live without him. He should've lived longer."

"Yes, he should've. But, Angela, we live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths; in feelings, not in figures on a dial. And Eric will always remain in our thoughts and in our hearts."

"It's hard to be left behind, Bella. It's hard to be the one who stayed back."

Her words send a chill through my spine.

_Edward was the one who stayed back._

**~TETB~**

Time passes, and we all fall into our daily routine. The feeling of loss, of emptiness, still looms over everyone's heads, and none of us have been able to manage a true smile in all this time. I call the college and tell them that I won't be there for a few weeks. Eric's family is busy with the funeral arrangements, and we help as much as we can, in any way we can.

About two days after the funeral, I'm at Angela's place, going through old photo albums, when an odd thought strikes me. "Hey, Ange, who supplied the hard drugs to Eric? I don't remember him being friends with anyone like _that_."

"Ben told me that it was some guy named Felix, who apparently works for Volterra Inc. You know, the infamous Cullen Family? Yeah, Eric died from the drug supplied by those bastards. I've heard all about them, hell everyone has! They're the headlines almost every week for money laundering, narcotics, shipments, murder, and what not. God, I hope they burn in…" But I'd stopped listening to her.

Everyone's heard of them. Why haven't I? _Because you wouldn't be caught dead with a newspaper, Bella._

Mr. Black's words come back to me,  
_Cullen, along with his father, is the head of Volterra Inc., and basically, the head of the entire mafia world in the west. He smuggles drugs, diamonds and exclusive cars in and out of the country. The sheer number of young people who fall prey to their traps are uncountable._

Eric had fallen trap to their filthy business.

Fury and rage course throw me, and an instinct for revenge, a feeling of being betrayed so powerful that it makes me see red.

My decision is made.

I'm going to take down those sons of bitches one by one. The Edward I knew and loved doesn't even exist. He's been replaced by some cold-hearted motherfucker who is going down.

I take out my phone and dial the newest member on my contact list.

"Mr. Black, this is Bella Swan. I'm in."

**EPOV**

Cullen. The name that strikes fear in every heart, every mind, every soul. Infamous for being violent, cunning, merciless, and devastatingly beautiful, but mostly, known to the _public_ for our illegal obsession with speed. I, Edward Cullen, am the leader of this thriving empire.

When I see the same fear in the eyes of my captive, a sinister smirk forms on my lips. Felix has gagged him and tied his hands to the back of the chair.

"I will say this one time, and one time only, so you better pay attention," I say in a voice so calm that it sounds deadlier than a lion's roar, or so Jasper has told me before. I place my mouth right next to his fucking ear and whisper, "I want my guns. The second I remove this cloth from your filthy mouth, I should know the location of my shipment."

I stand back and let my men do the work. They remove the towel from his mouth and give him a few good kicks. My men know when to stop. So when they hear the click of my gun, they stand back.

"Tell me where my guns are, and I will take a clean shot. No pain for you, fucker. Waste my time, and by the time I'm done with you, you'd wish I just killed you already."

The motherfucker spits on my feet and shouts, "Fuck you."

"Where is my shipment, you piece of shit," I roar and fire two shots, blowing both his knees. I hear his howl of pain and cock my head, telling Franco to get the salt. I fire two more shots to his shin, and take a handful of salt, throwing it at his wounds. He starts shouting like a girl and thrashing his arms, his legs going through spasms.

"Where is my fucking shipment?" I bellow.

"You're going to kill me anyways! I won't tell you shit, you asshole!" For some reason, I feel amused that this boy of nineteen would raise his voice at me. He was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt for fuck's sake!

"Felix, _il mio coltello_." He places my knife in my hands. The knife with my family's crest on it that my mom gave me on my twenty first birthday.

"I will cut off your fingers one by _fucking_ one, if you don't start talking NOW!" Santino unties the fucker and holds both his arms to his sides. He looks half dead to me already. I gotta get information out of him fast. Fucking s_tronzo!_

His fingers tremble with fear and I keep my knife right next to his middle finger. I look into his panicked eyes, which are trained on my knife, and I can see his resolve slipping.

I start the countdown, "_Uno…due…tre_ – "

"Wait, wait!" And then he starts talking. Once I know the location of my guns, I pull the trigger and shoot him clean between his eyes.

"Call the cleanup," I say to Santino and walk outside the dirty warehouse to my car. I take out my phone and see that I have twenty missed calls and five texts. Out of these, only five calls are work related, the rest are all from Mom. _Always the worrier._ I keep the texts for later, as I know they would be either from Emmett, my best friend and family doctor, or from Jasper, my brother.

I call mom and brace myself for a tirade. "Heyy, Mom."

"Heyy Mom? I've been calling you for the past two hours, Edward! You couldn't pick up even once? _Perché non eri a casa per cena, hmm?"  
_She asks me why I wasn't home for dinner, and I feel so guilty because there's one rule in our family – we always have dinner together, no matter what.

"_Mi dispiace, mamma." _I say that I'm sorry, because I really am. "I'll reach home in fifteen minutes. Did you cook the ravioli?" I ask eagerly. It's my favourite dish ever. _Bella loved ravioli._

"Yes, I did, _piccolo._" And there goes her anger.

"I'm not a little boy any more, Mom." I roll my eyes, and get into my car.

"You will always be my _piccolo_," she chides, and then reminds me to drive safely and hangs up.

I love how mom can make me feel like I'm still the little boy, devoid of all responsibilities, and she's always there to kick the ass of anyone who messes with me. But I'm not a little boy, and she can't always protect me. That's just how it is.

My phone rings and upon seeing the caller ID, my back goes rigid and all humor vanishes.

"Talk to me," I say.

"The plan is working just as it should, EC. The Feds have no idea about what's going on. Chicago is ours."

"Good. Meet me tomorrow at _Il Cigno_, and we'll talk out some details. I'll be there by four, so you better be there on time."

"Of course. See you then."

The plan was going just as it should be – the dealers were done, Feds were off our trail, and all the other Families were behind us. Volterra was going to make unimaginable money from this deal.

I reach my parents' home and head straight to the dining room. I see Jasper eating the ravioli with full gusto, and I hurriedly make myself a plate.

"Got the location?" Jasper asks between mouthfuls of ravioli.

"Of course. The bastards have it in some underground tunnel like the fucking rats they are." _Umm…this ravioli tastes like heaven._

"_Si tratta di ravioli ricotta e spinaci?_" I ask Jasper if this is the cottage cheese and spinach ravioli, and he replies in the affirmative.

We talk some more about wok and then head off to our respective penthouses. We live in the building two blocks from our parents' house, and we both have our penthouse suites in the same building.

I strip to my boxers and fall face first into the bed. Today has been a long day, and I feel completely drained. My phone starts to ring, and I just wanna hurl the thing out of the window.

But of course I pick it up. "What?" I snap.

"EC, Natalia here." I smirk at hearing her husky voice. "I miss you, baby," she purrs. "We haven't been together for a while now. What say I come up to your room?" Natalia is the only whore who's ever come even minutely close to looking like my Bella. She has the whole brunette, brown eyed look going for her. But obviously, no one has ever managed to match up to Isabella.

"Not tonight, _donna_. I'll call you tomorrow if I'm in the mood for a good fuck." I hang up without waiting for a reply.

I close my eyes, and like every night over the last seven years, the images of my Bella fill my mind. I ask myself the same questions once again, _where would she be now? What would she be doing? Does she have a boyfriend?_

It's not like it matters if she does. 'Cause when I finally see her again, she'll be mine.

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** _il mio coltello - my knife_**

**_stronzo - asshole_**

**Who loves the sexy Italian mob boss Edward? ;)**

**Leave a review right down there if you liked it! I love to hear from you guys, and I always reply.**

**The next chapter's already written, and I'll upload it on the 30th if all goes well :)**

**Till the next time**


	5. Chapter 4: Mission Impossibella

**Heyy guys! I'm updating within the week. I think I deserve a round of applause for that. *bows down***

**Well, it's my birthday this 31st July, so this is more like an early present for all my amazing readers out there. I hope you like it :)**

**Beta'd by the bestest Heather and Ange. Love ya my girls.**

**Disclaimer: Yup. That's right. I don't own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 4**

**Mission Impossibella**

You know the feeling you get when you know shouldn't be doing something, but you also know that you'll do it all the same? Yeah, that's how I feel when I agree to meet Mr. Black in a deserted building under construction. When I told him that I would do anything to take down Volterra, I meant it. I would give my life if I had to, to stick to my words. Mr. Black had called me here to chalk out some very important details.

"Hello, Isabella, I'm sorry I'm late. I had to pick up something from the bureau," Mr. Black says as he comes jogging towards me. I notice that he's not wearing his usual impeccable suit. Instead, he's dressed in a crisp white shirt and jeans, with that gun holster thing around his back and across his shoulders. It holds two scary looking handguns, and I gulp in spite of myself.

I hold back the snarky remark I was about to make and mutter, "Uh…it's okay."

"Good. Let's sit by that bench, and I'll fill you in on all you need to know and be ready for." He gets straight down to business without wasting any time. Opening a huge folder filled with papers and photographs, he hands me a photo of someone talking on the phone. "You recognize him?"

I look at the picture with wide eyes, and my breathing hitches. The man in the picture is so extraordinarily beautiful that I have to blink my eyes twice before I can fully focus. He's dressed in a gray suit and has the most defined, incredible jaw line I have ever seen. His hair is wild and a darker shade of gold mixed with a little bronze highlights here and there. The man looks like pure sin, like he could make you scream and beg for him. He was like those men who command respect, not demand respect.

But there was something in those green eyes of his.

My heart jumps to my throat.

Something which reminded me of…

_Of…_

"Is this Edward?" I whisper. I can't take my eyes off the picture, but I tear them away to see Mr. Black staring at me intently.

"Yes, that's him. That's Edward Cullen, son of the Italian don Carlisle Cullen."

When did Edward become so fucking sexy and smoldering? He was good-looking even in his teens, but this is a whole new level of good-looking!

And he was in love with _me_?

I must have said that out loud because Mr. Black says, "Yes. He is, Isabella."

"Tell me about him," I say with a new fire in my voice. I want to know everything about this Edward. He's the man responsible for the death of Eric and God alone knows how many other innocent people. He was like an eagle – beautiful but lethal. Their horrible business had to be brought to a stop before more people were harmed, and if I was the one who could do it, then so be it.

Mr. Black looks at me like I've finally said the right thing, and starts, "Edward Cullen is the oldest son of Carlisle Cullen. Volterra was basically controlled by Carlisle, but when Aro and his two brothers started to become a nuisance for them, Edward hatched the perfect plan to off them. EC is a born genius. And he was also born into this life, destined to be the next leader of this empire. Edward is the most violent and aggressive between him and his other brother, Jasper." He hands me another photo, and this time, I easily recognize Jasper. _The calm, level-minded Jasper. What happened to those bratty boys from Forks? _ "This is Jasper Cullen. He may look harmless, but he's actually the strategic fucker. He can have you pinned to the ground in less than two seconds. And if you lose your weapon against him, you've already lost the fight."

I nod to show that I understand the true significance of this. "And what exactly will my part be in this whole deal?"

"We'll get to that later. First, you need to understand, Isabella, that this is no joke. If they ever find out that you're working with us, the result could be disastrous. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Translation: If they ever find out that you're the traitor, consider yourself dead.

"Yes, I do. But, Mr. Black, I can assure you that I'm ready to take down these sons of bitches." I smirk at him and take the folder from his hands going through all the photographs. There are pictures of Edward – most of them are of him talking on the phone, and all are of him in suits; there are pictures of Jasper, and also pictures of Carlisle. But I truly feel nostalgic when I see pictures of Esme. I push aside all those memories of the Cullen kitchen and look up at Mr. Black.

I'm surprised to see him returning my smirk. I'm even more surprised when he says, "Call me Jacob."

"Well, then how do we go about it, Jacob? When do we start?" I ask eagerly.

He laughs and says, "Oh no, Isabella. It's not going to be that easy. You will need a lot of training and grooming before you're ready to face him."

I frown. _Training and grooming? Huh? When did this come in? _"What do mean 'training and grooming'?"

"I mean that you need to know a little bit of combat, and you need to know your way with guns. By grooming, I mean you need to be a little more elegant, gentle, and you need to learn how to dress like a girl."

"_Excuse me?_" I ask, offended. "What do you mean dress like a girl? I dress perfectly, thank you very much! And as for all that training, I'm a cop's daughter. I can assemble a gun in less than thirty seconds and am a black belt in three types of martial arts."

Mr. Black – sorry, _Jacob_, looks genuinely surprised by this new information, and I grin smugly.

_Gotcha, Mr. Know it all._

"W-well," he stutters, "you still need to learn to dress properly. I said earlier also that you talk very crass, so we have to teach you a thing or two about it. Also, you need to know everything there is to know about the mafia world as well as everyone in the Cullen family. You need to be prepared to handle any, and every, situation."

"Okay. Well, who's going to teach me all this?"

"Me. Obviously." _Obviously._ "As for the rest, I've found a girl who's an expert in all…_girly_ things. You'll meet her soon enough. Actually, I think you might even already know her." He grins and hands me another photo.

"Hey, that's Alice Brandon!" I exclaim as I look at the photo. We grew up together in Forks and were thick as thieves. But when I moved, we lost touch after a few years. I changed my number and never really cared to open my email, though I did think of her sometimes. She always was the little fashionista who had a huge thing for Jasper, but he never really noticed her back then. Now, she looked like a hot little woman who could trample over a guy's heart. "Wow. I can't wait to meet her," I say, beaming.

Jacob looks a little uncomfortable, and I get anxious instantly. "What is it?"

He clears his throat and starts, "I haven't told you some things, Isabella."

"I knew there was a catch to it!" I huff.

"Obviously." He smirks. _The bastard. _But then he gets serious again."I think you must've realized by now that there's no way you can go to London," he says skeptically. I nod in the affirmative. _Of course I've realized that. "_Good. But there's something else, and I don't think you're going to like it very much."

"I'm _sure_ I'm not going to like it very much," I mutter.

"You will have to lie to Rosalie and Emmett about your whereabouts."

"WHAT?" Lie to my sister and Emmett? No fucking way in hell was I doing that!

"Think rationally, Be-Isabella. This is just as much for their protection as it for yours. You're going to tell them that you are in London." He interrupts me when I start to protest, "Don't worry, we'll take care of everything. When Edward asks you about them, you just tell him that you had a fight and don't live with them anymore. I can guarantee no troubles in this particular area; it'll all be taken care of. You would never cross paths accidentally; we'll make bloody sure of that." He looked at me expectantly, still hoping that I'm in.

I sit back and close my eyes, thinking. I go over everything that he's said and all that I'll have to sacrifice. Maybe even my life. But Eric died; and it's not just about him. There are so many people who ruin there lives as we speak just so that Volterra makes money. Even they have people who love them, care for them. But the question remains – is my own life worth it?

_Yes, it is._

"Okay, when do we start?"

He looks at me with his mouth gaping open. "You mean you're in? You'll do it?" He's beaming like a child who got his wish from Santa. I can't help but laugh at him.

"Yes, I mean I'm in, Jacob."

"Fuck yeah," he exclaims and fist pumps in the air. Everything stops for a second. We just stare at each other…and then I burst out laughing. I can actually see Jacob blush underneath that tan skin of his. _He is actually a really good looking man. But Edward…_

We go over a lot of other things, like my living arrangements and my car, and Jacob tells me the names of the important men in the Cullen organization besides Edward, Jasper and Carlisle – Felix, Santino, Franco, Alonzo and Enzo. _This sounds like a full on Italian cult! _

He tells me that the sooner we start the better, and then sheepishly adds, "Can we start…you know…tomorrow…?"

"Okay. I'll tell Rose and Em that they refused to extend my leave more and that I have to go back tomorrow. Can you get the apartment and car ready by tomorrow morning?"

After Jacob got over the shock at my instant agreement, he said that he could, and a car would be there to pick me up at the airport.

_Edward Cullen, here I come._

_**~5 days later~**_

"_Right_ foot, left foot,_ right_ foot, left foot. For the love of God, Bella! What's so tough to understand about this?"

"I'm trying! My poor feet are suffocating in these six inch death traps. If I break my neck, it's on you, Alice!"

"Your feet suffocate in those _beautiful_ Chucks you adorn them with all the time." _Sarcastic much? "_They're soooo appealing, you see." And then she smiles at me like the little devil she is.

I'm ready to snap at her when a honk outside makes stops me. _My new car is here!_

I run towards the door of my brand new amazing apartment, completely forgetting the heels. I haven't even walked three steps when I fall flat on my butt. I scramble up, chucking the bloody things on the floor, and run out barefoot with a screaming Alice behind me.

I burst out of the building's door and see Jacob in the driving seat, smirking like the cat who got the canary. Fucker. Driving my new car before me.

_My new silver Volvo._

I do a little happy dance right there on the porch and then shove Jacob out of the car, _my _car, and slide into the seat. After we've spent most of the evening driving around, we go back to my home and order pizza. I haven't actually been outside the house in the five days as Jacob thinks it's not "safe".

I got to know Jacob a lot better in this time and realized that the FBI Agent Black is actually a simple guy who likes football and beer just as much as the next one. I'm still learning about the underworld - Edward's world - and it's not all easy power and riches, let me tell you. When Jacob gets into the gruesome details, I have to watch shit tons of Gossip Girl and How I Met Your Mother later to get the mental images out. I have also done some target practice at the FBI Headquarters (the coolest place ever), and I've learnt how to keep my emotions in check, to keep them from showing blatantly on my face. They also said I could keep the apartment and car if all went well. _That_ I truly loved hearing.

Alice has taught me how to walk, talk, eat, behave and dress like a lady. And trust me when I say this – _I would totally go out with myself! _Of course, she's not been able to cure my sharp tongue and short temper, but I guess the true Bella would be all but lost without this. I have actually reconnected with Alice quite well, and we've quickly become the same best friends/sisters that we once were.

Between the 'training' with Jacob and the 'grooming' with Alice, I'm lucky to get four hours of sleep. And I'm someone who sleeps at least ten hours a day. Jacob also told me that Alice would be living here as my roommate and that she knew everything about our Mission Impossibella. Jacob objected to the name at first, but then, who can deny Alice anything? Especially when she stomps her foot, folds her arms, glares at you with those ocean blue eyes, and you can almost see the smoke coming out of her ears; if looks could kill, ya know?

Suddenly, the Harry Potter tune starts playing, and I search for my phone. I check the caller ID, and my heart immediately drops.

_Emmett calling. _

"Jacob," I shout. He comes running as he knows this voice of mine – I only yell like this when Rose, Em or Ange call. I need him to be there next to me then.

I pick up the phone with shaking hands, I still haven't got used to the idea of lying to them about it. "Heyy, Em," I say with fake enthusiasm.

"Bellaaaa! How are you?" I choke back a sob on hearing Em's boisterous voice.

"I'm great! Loving London." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. _Just a few more minutes Bella, keep it together._ "The weather is so amazing you won't believe it! And the London Eye, just wow, Em. I…went there today you know. Could see London in all its glory. Tell me about yourself, how are you? And Rose?"

"We're doing good. Missing you like hell, Bells. I can't believe you're that far away from us." _I'm not far, Em. I'm right here in Chicago._

"Me too. I miss you guys so so much." _So much._ "Oh shoot! I have to go right now. My RA wants to see me; can I talk to you tomorrow?" My conversations never exceed ten minutes. The one time I talked to Rose for about an hour, I ended up crying for another hour straight after that.

"Of course. Bye, belly button. I love you," Em says. But I can clearly hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Love you too, Emmy bear." And with that I cut the line.

"It's going to get easier with time, Bella," Jacob says, as he pats me on the head and engulfs me in a hug. He acts like the protective big brother I crave in moments like these, and this is what helps me survive it.

"Mmm hmm," I mutter. Jacob rubs my back for the last time and then goes out of the room, gently closing the door behind him. Both Alice and Jacob know that trying to make me do anything after a call from home is useless, so they just leave me to sulk in isolation.

_**~TETB~**_

"Let's go over the plan again." Jacob's sweating bullets and keeps fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He's more nervous than I am, while I'll be the one in the actual line of fire.

"We've been through this and through this, Jake. It'll all work out, trust me."_ I wish I could trust myself too. Please God, make it work!_

"I do trust you, Bella. I just…it has all sort of boiled down to this moment. You're our one and only chance."

I can't sit here listening to Jacob airing his insecurities while I'm freaking out on the inside. The only difference is that I decide to keep mum about them and not burden us both with it. Clearly, no one taught _Agent_ Jacob Black how to handle situations like these.

I say, "Hey, look, it's almost time. He'll be out any minute," just to get Jacob off my back about the whole 'let's go over the plan again' deal.

"Yeah, okay, shit. Say it all one more time, Bella."

_FUCK YOU JACOB BLACK! _

"Edward has gone to see a movie, which should be over by now. He'll come into the T-3 part of the underground parking lot in the mall, and I'm in the T-5 part. Edward will be driving a black Aston Martin without a number plate. The moment he rounds the corner, I start my car forward, blocking him. I pretend like I don't know I've blocked him and fix my make-up or some shit. When, and_ if,_ he gets out of the car, I act as if I don't recognize him, let him take a good long look at me, mouth sorry and then drive off," I say all in one breath and then slump against the seat. After my talk with Emmett yesterday, Jake came bursting into my room going hysterical about how someone had tipped him that Edward would be here today, and this was our opportunity to 'introduce' me. So here I am.

"Okay, I think we've covered it all. I'll be behind the pillar and in my car in the S-2 part. Best of luck, Bella. Be safe okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Jake."

He gets out of my car, and I watch his retreating form towards the car he rented for this evening. When I can't see him anymore, I take a deep breath and avert my eyes, waiting for Edward to show up.

I'm looking at the general area of where his car should be when something catches my eye.

My heart speeds up to an abnormal level, and adrenaline rushes through me.

_Was that a tuft of bronze hair I just saw?_

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**I hope you liked it? Leave me review and make my birthday an extra special one :D**

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**Till the next time!**


	6. Chapter 5: The First Time

**Heyy, you awesome people! I would've uploaded this chap earlier had it not been for my pre-med exams. But, here it is now! I hope you like it, and I hope I could do it justice.**

**Thanks so much for all your support my lovelies.**

**Beta'd by the two and only - Ange and Heather. *applause***

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Lol at me.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**The First Time**

_**Forks, 2005**_

"_Look what I got, Bella! Come on, let's go." Edward comes bursting into my room and pulls me up from the bed in the same second. He has this look of pure exhilaration on his face wherein his cheeks and ears turn red, and I can't believe yet again that this angelic man loves me. We've been together for about five months now. Edward is getting his first car today, and I knew how excited he'd been since his sixteenth birthday two weeks ago. Apparently, the custom car had taken some extra time to make._

_We run hand in hand to the huge Cullen garage, and Edward pulls us to a stop in front of what I think is an SUV covered by a grey sheet._

"_Okay, this it it. Are you ready?" He's grinning from ear to ear excited like a little boy to show me his new, fancy toy. I laugh at his cuteness and nod enthusiastically. He makes a big show of removing the cover and revealing his brand new Porsche to me. "Is this awesome or what? When Dad told me it would be worth the wait, who knew the Porsche Cayenne Turbo would be the prize?"_

_He starts telling me the horsepower, the mileage, the this, the that, and I just stare at him in wonder. He had always been that unattainable senior guy who was by some miracle my best friend. And to think he had actually always looked at me as more than just a _friend,_ still knocked the breath out of me. _

"_It's amazing, Edward. Carlisle just gave it to you?"_

"_Yup, just had it shipped over from Europe." The beautiful grin hasn't left his proud, smug face for one second. "Let's go for a drive? I haven't had the chance to drive my baby yet. I wanted to show it to you and share my first ride with my beautiful girlfriend." His ears turn a little red and then he pulls me in for a long kiss. I love how I'm the only one who can bring out this side in him anymore. In the last year, he'd gotten his braces and glasses removed, shot up to above 6 feet, and now caught the eye of every single female wherever he went. He wasn't the little geek anymore, but instead The Edward Cullen who was going out with some junior – a.k.a me. The shy Edward only made his presence known with me now. This man has the power to turn the headstrong Bella Swan into putty with a mere smile. _

_He drives like a maniac through the winding roads of the outer part of Forks. The entire ride, I hold on to the dashboard with all my might, while Edward laughs and kisses me at every turn. It's the one and only time I don't go all jelly-like on the inside and instead bite his lip in my frightened state. The needle doesn't waver from its 110 mark on the speedometer, only moving forward every now and then._

He's so going to get us into a Porsche pretzel one not-so-fine day, _I think._

_**~TETB~**_

The memory flashes through my mind as I see him whistling a tune and getting into his car.

Seven years.

_I'm seeing him after seven fucking years._

And dammit, have the years been kind on him or what! Just look at that hair, that lickable jaw of his. He's dressed in simple jeans and a dark grey wool sweater, not the suit I've seen on him in the photographs. I expected to feel nauseous, a little happy on the inside to see the man I had been so crazy for, even though our parting had been…what it had been – that was a story for later. But, oddly, all I felt was…nothing. I didn't feel any long lost love that had suddenly been reignited at seeing him, neither did I experience a jolt in my heart like I did back then.

But what I did experience was my heart racing from the adrenaline pumping because of the realization of what the next few minutes would bring. My life was going to change. For better or for worse, time would tell.

I see his car turning around the corner, and his face comes into full view. _Oh fuck. I take back what I said._

There's that jolt in my heart.

_You're officially screwed, Bella Swan._

I'm so preoccupied with my own thoughts that it startles me when I see him just a few feet away.

_Shit, shit, shit! I should be blocking him by now! Oh God…_

I see that there's no way that I can possibly cut him off as planned and in my panicked state, I do what I shouldn't have done. I press down on the gas, and the car jerks forward. My eyes go wide with alarm, and I struggle to press the break. But it's too late.

I hear the crunch of metal against metal and the squealing of tires. My car goes crashing into the side of his Aston.

His fucking _Aston Martin_!

If I remember him as well as I think I do, he probably values this car more than life itself. I'll be dead even before they find out I'm the traitor. If Jake doesn't kill me first, that is.

I sit in my car, paralyzed with what just happened, terrified to move a muscle. I think time stops. Suddenly, a loud roar resonates in the parking lot, and I jump, letting out a yelp, finally breaking from my trance.

_Was that…Edward? Fuck me, yes it was his voice!_

I hear a door slam, and someone tapping incessantly on my window. _Edward's tapping on my window!_ I wasn't prepared to deal with this. I was supposed to drive out of here leaving an inquisitive Edward behind. He wasn't supposed to be pounding angrily on my window! Why do I have to screw up every single motherfucking thing?

_Improvise, Bella, improvise! Don't let those six days at the headquarters go to waste. _

"Get out of the car, you pussy!" Edward shouts. Even laced with fury, his voice sounds so rich. But I don't feel _that_ weak in the knees sensation right now, because I'm going weak in the knees with absolute fright.

I snap on my Ray Bans, shake my hair down, fluffing it up, pout slightly in the supposedly sexy way that Alice taught me, and thank the Lord for tinted windows. I'm pretty sure he can't see who's in the car. I turn my head to the right and press down on the window button, rolling it down.

_Here goes nothing._

"You asshole! I swear to God, I will fucking _kill_ – " Edward bellows and then freezes mid threat, his face red, and…_so beautiful_. His cologne invades my mind and senses. There's no way in hell this creature loves me. Period.

I keep a bored face on, while on the inside, I'm freaking out, and my legs are shaking of their own accord. I can't let him know that I'm scared, and I can't apologize like a nervous little girl – I have to have the upper hand. I can't lose the game before it's even begun.

His face is scrunched up in a confused and well…adorable expression. The one that people have when they're thinking, _"I've definitely seen her somewhere. Where have I seen her? Do I know her?" _Yeah, that one.

I open my door but can't manage open it all the way through as he's standing right next to it.

"Excuse me?" I say, smiling sarcastically, and he mutters something incomprehensible, but gives me enough space to open the door. Edward's eyes are still puzzled, but I can tell that he has realized who I am, and he just doesn't believe it's possible. I can practically see the wheels in his pretty head churning, grinding, going round and round.

I get out of the car with my head high and stand with my butt against my door, hands folded across my chest.

"You were saying?" I say, raising an eyebrow and giving him a lazy smirk. _So far, so good, Bella, just keep it up. You can do this._

A year passes. Or maybe it's just one minute. I don't fucking know. He just stares at me, and I stare back. He looks like he's in a dilemma, his right hand almost pulling out that gorgeous hair of his. I gaze into his eyes, but due to my aviators, can't see the usual vibrancy in them.

So I take them off.

Realization and shock flood his face. Then comes that look of exhilaration, that look of absolute joy. My breath gets knocked out of me. Edward looks so smoldering that the moment feels surreal. It's almost like his entire being is glowing. He clenches and unclenches that delectable jaw of his repeatedly.

_It's jaw porn, that's what it is._

"I, uh, I'm – " Edward starts. He looks so adorable, all confused and flustered.

"Yeah, I don't really care who you are." I cut him off. Upper hand – check. Real emotions wiped off the face – check. "Look, I'm sorry your car got damaged. I'll pay for it. How much do I owe you? Six, seven hundred?"

_How much do I owe you? Nice work, you brainless bitch. _Yeah…I don't have a dollar on me.

I change my expressions into a mask of irritation and impatience, tapping my foot to show how impatient I am, but actually just to release the nervous energy building inside me. He doesn't reply, and I snap my fingers in front of his face.

He blinks once, twice and then he…grins. He _grins_. That crooked grin enough to stop cold a beating heart. Fuck me sideways. "Nothing. You owe me nothing," he says, still grinning.

I nod in a devil-may-care way, wiping that grin right off his face. "You said it, Richie Rich. Well, then I guess I'll just get going now."

_Expected me to fall at your feet with that grin Edward Cullen? Don't forget who you're dealing with here. _

Without giving him another glance and a chance to respond, I open the door to get into my car.

I don't know what takes over me then, but I turn on my heels to face him once again. I know I'm walking on thin ice here, testing him, so I have to tread very carefully.

"Heyy, just by the way, do I know you? You look sort of…familiar." _Come on, Edward. Say it. You know you wanna talk to me, make me yours. It's as clear as day in your eyes._

His eyes gaze into mine with such fire that I'm positive he can see right into my very soul. My heartbeat is so rapid, it's a surprise it hasn't jumped out and fallen at Edward's feet by now.

_No, you don't like him, Bella. Think of all the shit he does. That's his life; you can never be a part of it. _

Come on goddammit! Say the four simple words – I am Edward Cullen.

I can see the resolve forming in his eyes. And then something changes, he takes a different approach as to what he'd decided.

"No. No, you don't know me."

_What did he just say? _

I give a half nod and say, "Right. I thought so."

Keeping my eyes ahead, I put on my aviators again and back out of the parking lot. Edward's eyes are on me the entire time, and as I pass the S-2 part, I can feel Jacob's cold glare too.

_You're majorly screwed, Bella Swan._

As soon as I'm into the safety of the street, I call up Alice.

"How was Mission Impossibella?" Damn, the girl is practically singing out to me. "I'm sure it has been accomplished without any complications. Am I right?"

_Oh, Alice, if you only knew._

"No, Alice," I whine. "I totally fucked up. Jacob's gonna kill me."

There's an ominous silence on her side, and I start to freak out. "Alice?" I squeak.

"What happened? Tell me everything," she says authoritatively.

I give her a run down of all the events that took place and how badly I messed up. When I get to the part where Edward said, 'No, you don't know me', I think Alice lost her mind there. This situation was the mother of all fuck ups. And here we thought he would beg to take me back; that we would gel together like fucking peanut butter and jelly. Yeah, not happening.

On reaching the apartment, I tear through the door, almost pulling my hair out by the roots. Alice comes out running and immediately gets to the task of shushing and consoling me.

"Fuck, Alice! It wasn't supposed to be like this! I can't stop my big fucking mouth from running away to glory. What was I _thinking_ going all 'do I know you'? I just bet Edward's laughing his ass of right now, and Jacob's polishing his gun to use me as target practice." I whimper and fall into the couch, covering my face with my hands and groaning loudly. Why does shit always happen to _me_? "And you know what the worst part is? I could see the want in Edward's eyes, the recognition. I totally _mangled _the driver's door in his Aston! I can't believe I disappointed you and Jake so bad."

She rubs my shoulders delicately. "You didn't disappoint anyone, Bella. Accidents happen all the – "

"BELLAA!"

Oh fuck.

Jacob's here.

I look at Alice, panicked, and see the same look mirrored in her face. Holding on to her hand for dear life, I get up from the couch.

_God, save me._

He stops right in front of me, his face a blank mask, his entire body trembling.  
"Kitchen. Now," he hisses, then stalks over to the kitchen without another word or glance.

_Uhhh…_

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**Soooooo? *looks up innocently***

**Leave me a review down there if you're still with me on this. What does Edward really want? Hmmm...**

**Love y'all!**

**Till the next time 3**


	7. Chapter 6: Midnight Drama

**Heyy girls! How are you all doing? This chapter is definitely longer than the last one. Hope you like it!**

**Beta'd by the ever awesome Ange and Heather.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Blegh.**

**Enjoyy :)**

**PS- A really, really important AN in the bottom!**

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**Chapter 6**

**Midnight Drama**

"Jake, I-I don't know what happened," I start timidly.

He's standing with his back to me, holding the kitchen counter for all it's worth. I understand that he must be livid right now, but it would really help if he would at least talk to me.

Suddenly, he turns on his heels and bellows, "You crashed into his fucking car and messed up everything, Isabella! _That's_ what fucking happened!"

I look at him, stunned. No one has ever raised their voice at me like that. I know I deserve every bit of it, but it still pinches.

"I'm sorry, Jacob," I whisper. "I know I messed up big time, and trust me when I say this, no one feels worse about it than I do."

"I don't care about your fucking feelings in this situation, Bella!" _What?_ My heart sinks. "I should've known you wouldn't be able to do this, and now _I'm_ stuck cleaning this huge mess you've made!"

_He shouldn't have fucking said that._

"You listen to me now, Jacob Black. I'm not your fucking puppet, so don't you dare talk to me like that! I said I'm sorry, and I mean it. It's not easy for me to prance my way into my ex-boyfriend's pants, who's now a mob boss, and lie to everyone about it. My life is on the table here, and if for one minute you think that I'm not taking this seriously, then you're gravely mistaken, Agent. What happened today was an accident and neither of us could have predicted that. So it would be a lot easier _and_ productive, if we could come up with another plan as soon as possible."

I finish my rant with a loud and final thump on the marble counter. _And that hurt my palm like a bitch._

But it's pretty effective, since I can see that finally Jake's taking me seriously. He has that contemplative look on his face, and I can tell that his mind is already cooking up something fabulous.

He smirks. "Well, looks like you've got some spunk in you after all."

I stare at him, shocked by his sudden change in demeanor. "Jacob, honestly? Your mood swings are kinda giving me a whiplash here."

He just rolls his eyes at me and opens the door to call Alice in. She was probably standing outside with her ear stuck to the door, eavesdropping, as she stumbles right in.

"Okay, girls, here's the plan," Jake starts.

"Woah, woah! Hold up! What 'plan'?" I ask, holding up my hands and looking at Jacob, panicked. I still haven't gotten over the shock of what happened only an hour ago, and here he is expecting me to go through this all over again?

"You said you wanted a plan, Bella, here it is." _Lose that smirk, Jacob, it's not funny. _I wanna say this, but I don't. With Jake, I find it difficult to always speak my mind.

"Yeah I did say that but how was I supposed to know you would come up with one like this?" I snap my fingers in front of his to show exactly how quickly he came up with it. "I don't know, Jake, I think I need some more time to actually prepare myself. And I told you how he didn't even acknowledge me like his 'love'. I mean, I'm not even sure it's going to work anymore."

"No, Bella. I saw the look on his face when you drove away. I have no doubt this is gonna work. You just need to stay focused and be positive."

"Alright, alright. If you say so." I give him an apprehensive look, and he smiles back encouragingly. "What's the plan then?"

Rubbing his hands excitedly, he starts, "Okay, it's pretty basic and nothing can go wrong with this," I look down, embarrassed, "since Bella will just have to sit and ooze sexiness."

"I-will-I-w-what?" I stutter and look at both Alice and Jacob with eyes as big as golf balls. They've got to be joking! _Sit and look sexy? What?_

"Yes, Bella, don't look at me like I just told you to strip. We're going to _Il Cigno_ tonight and – "

"_Tonight?_ You mean like _tonight_, tonight? Come on!" I whine. "Make it tomorrow at least!"

"We have to strike while the iron is hot," Jacob says, patting my hand comfortingly.

"And it's steaming hot right now," Alice pipes in. I give her the death glare, and she shrinks down in her seat. _These people have officially, and finally, lost it._

"No," I say firmly. Usually, when there are huge decisions made about your life, it's expected that people would actually listen to you. But when it's Alice and Jacob, I can forget what it's like to be heard. I might as well just shut up and not waste my energy.

"Okay, so I'll just go and find the perfect dress for you, Bella." Alice hops up from the stool and proceeds to go out of the kitchen.

"Oh no, Alice, wait up," Jacob says, and Alice turns with a confused look on her face. "It's not just Bella who needs to dress up for tonight." Now it's not only Alice who's confused. "You're going to accompany Bella to _Il Cigno _tonight. You are her roommate after all. And who the hell goes to have dinner alone anyway? So pick out a dress for yourself too."

_**~TETB~**_

"Jake, this is a really, really bad idea. I'm telling you. I don't need to be here at all!"

"Alice, shut up before I duct tape your mouth shut through the phone. It's my idea, and it's the perfect one. Even Bella isn't protesting anymore, so you better play the part."

Alice and I are parked in front of _Il Cigno_, and Alice has been on the phone with Jacob ever since we left trying to convince him to let me go alone.

Some best friend she is.

I kid, I kid.

I understand she's out of her comfort zone here, but so am I. And frankly, I'm beyond ecstatic to have her here with me, moral support and all, y'know. She put me in a red gown which has a deep back, running right down to just above my ass crack and just below the infinity tattoo between the dimples on my lower back. The same tattoo that Edward has. In the same place. The one we got together.

_When he sees this, all doubts about who I am will vanish in a flash. Though I doubt he has any in the first place._

Alice is wearing a short sapphire colored dress that has a deep back just like mine, but unlike mine, it's covered by a see-through blue lace. She looks like a goddess in that dark blue number.

"Alice. Let's do this," I say in a voice much more confident than I'm actually feeling, but eh, it's all about keeping up appearances.

"No, no, Bella, let's just touch-up your lipstick one last time!" she says frantically. _And here I thought I was the queen of procrastination. _

"Alice, if you make it any redder than it already is, I'll look like a vampire who just sucked a body clean. My lips already look hideously red! Let's. Just. Go."

"Okay, okay." She reluctantly holds up her hands in surrender and gets out of the car. _Il Cigno_ is quite the famous and fancy place, and people from everywhere come here to taste the vast and exquisite choice of wines available. Being one of the most romantic restaurants, one is bound to witness a proposal or two on every visit. This place is almost like your refuge from the outside world; a place you can share with that one special person. _And he named it with me in mind. I just know he did._

"Hi, my name is Alice Brandon, and we have a reservation for 9:30." The man standing outside the restaurant, taking reservations, appraises Alice with lustful eyes until I clear my throat and raise my bitch brow.

_Here I thought men that working for Edward would have better manners than that._

"Yes, Miss, please follow me. Your table would be ready in a few minutes. Would you like to wait at the bar in the meantime?"

We both nod in the affirmative and walk into the restaurant in all our glory. I can feel the eyes burning a hole in my body, and wearing this absolutely backless dress makes me feel too exposed.

"Alice," I whisper-yell, "I feel naked! Just look at how everyone's staring at me! This dress was a bad idea."

"Bella, you look stunning. Just keep your mouth shut, and no one will realize you're anything but a lady."

I roll my eyes at her and hop onto the stool at the bar. When I turn around to face Alice, she's glaring daggers at me. "What?" I ask.

"You didn't just_ hop_ onto that stool, Bella! You're supposed to mould into it gracefully. Have I taught you nothing?" _Kill me now, God, before this little devil does that. Mould my ass._

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful now." I look up at her innocently, and she just huffs in return. I order a Virgin Mojito while Alice goes all out and orders one Cosmo. After a few minutes of sipping our drinks and acting oblivious to all the blatant stares, the waiter comes over, informing us about the best table being ready.

We walk down a large part of the restaurant, almost to the very end, when he stops. He ushers us into a beautiful booth, which has two extra fluffy couches and overlooks the man-made lake at _Il Cigno_, especially made for the customers. Edward really did go all out with this place.

My eyes meet Alice's, and I can see hers are shining with anticipation and excitement, just like mine are. I sit on one side of the beautiful mother of pearl table while Alice takes the other side.

We're looking through our menus, when the waiter comes back to us. He looks extremely anxious and has his brows creasing with obvious worry.

"Ma'am, I'm so extremely sorry for the inconvenience, but our owner is here today and has especially requested this table." _Edward's here._ I can feel the blood draining from my face. _And he's requested _this _table_. "He's never done this before," the waiter mutters to himself._ Never done this before? Why today then?_ "If you would be so kind to move to the very second best, I would be forever thankful."

I feel like I've lost all sense of coherency, just being in the same room as him makes my head go round. I nod and squeak, "Okay," getting up.

"No, Bella," Alice says, putting her hand on my arm, sitting me back down. She turns back to look the terrified waiter in the eye. "We are not moving. You can go tell him that he should respect his customers. Give _him_ the second best."

_What the fucking fuck is she doing?! _

"Alice – " I start. She silences me with a look.

The waiter looks beyond terrified now. "Ma'am, please," he begs, "Mr. Cullen _himself_ is here. We're offering you the very second best!"

"We don't do second best. Give that to your mighty Mr. Cullen. Now please, if you will excuse us," she says dismissively. _Damn, the girl's got some serious balls._

A few minutes later, the waiter returns once again with a new proposition – Mr. Cullen would sponsor our entire meal if we could just shift to another table. I, of course wanted to agree, but Alice dismissed him once again saying something about how we didn't need anybody's _charity._

I sit nervously trying my best not to fidget, and Alice just calmly goes through the menu like nothing happened. Seriously, we could've just moved to a table where Edward would've had a clear view of me and enjoyed our evening. But oh no! Alice has to make everything so much more –

"Excuse me, ladies?"

My back instantly stiffens at the voice, _his_ voice, and my heart starts thumping madly in my chest. _He's standing right behind me! He doesn't _know_ it's me!_

Alice looks up and her eyes widen, if only for a millisecond, and she looks back at me for confirmation. My rigid posture and pale face, are all the confirmation she needs before putting on a high and mighty, whatever-the-fuck expression, and looking up at Edward once again.

"Yes?" she says, almost sounding bored.

"I'm sorry, Miss…?"

"Brandon. Miss Brandon," Alice replies.

"Right, Miss Brandon, I'm not having the best of days, and I would really like this table. This is just a humble request, and I would be extremely grateful if you two beautiful ladies could bear with my sorry ass tonight?" I can just imagine him grinning, charming his way into everything.

_God! It is _just_ a fucking table! Get over yourselves! Why are these two making such a big fuss about it?!_

I stand up and hold out my hand to Alice. "Alice, enough. Since Mr. Cullen so _desperately_ wants to sit here, we'll move to another table alright?"

I hear Edward's sharp intake of breath and prepare myself for what's to come next. His eyes are burning a hole in my back; or rather a certain something tattooed on my lower back. Alice looks back and forth between Edward and I, while I just stand there purposely and obviously ignoring him. I tap my foot impatiently and wait for Alice to start moving.

"Alice, I'm going. Come whenever you want to." I turn to walk out gracefully but someone holds my wrist, pulling me back.

_Oh shit._

I'm reduced to a state of hyperventilation in one second flat. I can literally feel the electricity from his touch running through my nerve endings, setting every muscle in my body on fire. It takes all I have in me to not start panting like a hussy just from having him touch my fucking wrist.

"Bella?"

_Oh God… _

This time, the moan that escapes my lips is a complete involuntary reaction to hearing him call my name like _that_ after seven years. Like I'm the only thing in the world; like he loves me. It almost knocks me right off my already unsteady feet.

_Turn, Bella. Keep it together._

"Yeah?" I whisper hoarsely, "Do I know you?"

"Bella, I'm Edward."

_My Edward._

Wait. What? _Your nothing, Bella! He's not yours!_

"Edward?"

"Yes, love. Edward Cullen."

_Love…_

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**Okay, people, liked it? Leave a review if you did!**

**I just want y'all to know that I have to take some really important exams, so I probably won't be updating all of September. I know, I know I'm being bad, but believe me I can't help it! I'll definitely try to have it out if I can (and if I'm bribed with some words *wink wink*).**

**Another important thing is, for Chapter 7, would you guys like the flashback? Like I've been putting some in the previous chapters, would you like one every alternate chap? If yes, then let me know! I'll write you guys something awesome for Chapter 7 ;)**

**Leave a review :D**

**Till the next time *waves***


	8. Chapter 7: Surprises

**Hii, people! How have you been? My exams will be ending tomorrow, and I got this done before that... so yay! Okay, I'm not going to write a long and boring AN about my life. Go right ahead with the chapter!**

**Beta'd by Heather and Ange, my lovelies.**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoyy!**

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**Chapter 7**

**Surprises**

_**Forks, 2005**_

"_I don't know, Edward…" she says hesitantly. _

"_Bella, I know you want to do this. Don't let the fear of your…" – those motherfuckers you call your parents – "folks tie you down." I know she really wants this. That's the reason I'm forcing her to grow a pair and just lift the t-shirt. I never would've insisted on it if she didn't want this almost as badly as I do._

This is a huge step, Edward,_ my head screams at me._

I know, and I'm ready,_ I scream back._

"_Edward, I just – " I silence her by holding her gorgeous face in my hands and giving her a smacking kiss. My Bella has to over-think absolutely everything. There are no 'spontaneous' decisions with her. Ever. Well, that's what I'm here for._

"_Sam, we're ready," I say to the tattoo artist, after pulling away from Bella's delicious lips. She looks a bit dazed, which was exactly what I was going for. I kiss her once more, sweetly, shortly, and whisper against her mouth, "Please, baby, you know you want this. Let's do it."_

"_Mmm hmm," she murmurs and narrows her eyes at me. "Charming your way into everything, Cullen." _

"_I've gotta use what I've got." I wink. "So are we doing it or what?"_

"_Fine." Score! "But you'll be getting tatted right next to me?" I nod. "And you'll hold my hand the entire time?" I nod again, grinning widely. "And you promise we won't get into any trouble? We're legally not allowed to get a tattoo without parental supervision, Edward." _

"_Baby, who's going to tell? Sam? Pfft!" _He's a grade A pussy,_ I think, but don't add. He's going to be etching my girl's beautiful skin after all. "And we sure as hell aren't. You're fourteen, and I'm sixteen, and we have our own desires. We want to get tatted, we'll get tatted!" _

"_Okay, okay, but you promise you'll be right here?" Those big, brown eyes will be the death of me, I'm telling ya. _

_I run my hands through her soft as silk hair and bend down to kiss her. "Where else am I going to be, sweet girl?" I suck her bottom lip, and she groans, pulling me tighter against her. My one hand stays in her hair, while the other goes to the skin on her lower back. I start rubbing soothing circles there with the pad of my thumbs, telling her that it won't hurt, 'cos that's where we'll be getting our tattoo._

_Two hours later, we're both in Bella's room. Me shirtless, and Bella only in a sports bra like the shy little girl she is. But, eh, I'll take what I can get. We're both admiring the infinity tattoo on our lower backs, between the dimples. _

_She suddenly jumps on me, pinning me on the bed under her little body. I laugh and run my hands over her back, careful not to touch the tattoo. "What did I ever do to deserve this, beautiful?"_

_She kisses me on the nose. "What did I ever do to deserve you, Edward?"_

_She always thinks she's inadequate. God alone knows where she got that notion from, because she's more than 'adequate'. Hell, she's everything._

_I simply say, "I love you, Bella." She looks at me like I gave her the world, and I would die to keep that look on her face._

"_For infinity. And beyond," she whispers, kissing my chest right where my heart lies. I flip her on her stomach and place a lingering kiss above the tattoo. _

"_For infinity."_

_**~TETB~**_

"Umm…okay? This is not awkward at all!" Alice says like the overly preppy, sarcastic and interfering little thing she is. I give her an irritated look. _We were having a moment here, Alice! A moment which is now lost, thanks to you!_

"Uh…yeah I, uh, know Edward from back in, you know…Forks." I look up at him hesitatingly, though I already know what I'll be seeing there. Disappointment. Who likes to be introduced like that? Not Edward, that's for sure!

Alice clicks her fingers in mock surprise, and her eyes shine bright. "Hey, that Edward Cullen?" Damn, the girl can act. "EDWARD!" she screeches, and a few heads turn our way. "Do you remember me?"

And then she squeals and proceeds to _shove_ me out of her way and…

_What the fuck?!_ She's hugging Edward's torso like her life depends on it or some shit. I can only stare slack-jawed.

Why don't I have Alice's confidence? God, I'm pathetic sometimes. Where did the parking lot Bella go?

I look at Edward, and he's got a look of alarm on his face. His hands are hanging limply by his side, and he's looking down at Alice like she has leprosy or something.

"Oh my God! Edward, I'm Alice!" _Okay, Alice, I think you can stop clinging to him now._ I feel slightly territorial of Edward, just like I've felt since the past twelve years or so. Meh, old habits die hard.

"Uh…Alice…who? I'm so sor – wait. Alice Brandon?" His voice changes from disgusted to excited in one millisecond flat. Took you long enough to figure it out, Sherlock.

"Yes, yes, yes!" She jumps up and down and gives him a smacking kiss on his cheek. I think they've both forgotten my presence in the room, making me feel like an outsider on what was supposed to be _my _night. And why the hell is Alice acting all pally-pally with him? He's a mob boss, who kills people on a daily basis. News flash: STAY AWAY FROM MURDERERS, WOMAN.

"Edward! Oh shit, man. Mom told me what happened today. I just knew you'd be here, and I had to see if you were fi – "

Enter. Jasper Cullen.

_Perfect. This is exactly what this night was missing. The Forks High Reunion._ Note the sarcasm, please.

M y eyes quickly seek Alice, and I can literally see her jaw hitting the floor; she goes almost limp in Edward's arms. Her eyes look at Jasper like the sun shines out of his ass; he always had been the centre of her attention back in Forks as well. I wonder what happened between them after I'd left. Did he actually give a fuck about her, or was he still with that bitch Maria? But from what little Alice has told me, nothing changed. And by nothing changed, I mean _nothing_ – Alice is still thick on her high school crush.

Jasper still looks the same. Blond hair, only now it looks tamed; shining gray eyes, only now I know they're the eyes of a killer; that incredible body; and of course, the devastatingly gorgeous face.

He suddenly goes stiff and says, "Oh, my apologies. I didn't know you had company."

"Jasper, this is Alice. You remember her_, _don't you?" Tell me why he's so excited again? I wait for him to introduce me.

And wait.

And wait.

No introductions coming my way tonight, I suppose.

"Alice _Brandon_?" he whispers. Jasper's eyes rake over her body and finally get settled on her eyes. Even a paralyzed man could feel the connection sizzling between them. Barely a minute passes, but everything is sort of in slow motion for these two, like in a bad cheesy movie.

Without saying another word, Alice walks over to him and takes his hand in hers. A very surprised looking Jasper runs his knuckles over her cheek, almost like it was an involuntary reaction.

I felt so, so…_happy_ for Alice in that moment. Anyone could see that these two were meant to be together. I hadn't really given much thought to "soul-mates" before, but now…now I knew exactly what it meant. Alice and Jasper. Soul-mates. They both were grinning goofily at each other, and I just felt like I should give them a little privacy. So that they could get to know each other, and…you know…yeah.

_Not ten minutes ago I was cursing Alice for being so touchy-feely with Edward, and now I fully support her and Jasper? Isn't Jasper a murderer too?_ I lock away that thought, deciding to dwell on it when I have time to actually introspect.

I can feel Edward's eyes on me and finally turn to look at him. _God, will my heart ever stop trying to jump out whenever I see him?_ He's still staring at me disbelievingly, like he expects me to vanish into thin air or something. And with the look that he's giving me… I'm two hundred percent sure about one thing – _Edward Cullen loves me._

But what I'm here to do, this shit doesn't involve feelings. If I let myself get too attached – again – things will get messy. Not only for me, for Alice and Jacob too. I've gotta keep my head in the game, keep it straight, and shut myself up. Lock all my emotions and feelings in a box and throw away the key.

With a final goodbye to Bella Swan, the soft, sweet girl who actually…_loved_ a guy named Edward Cullen, I take a deep breath. I look into the striking green eyes of EC, not my Edward, and give him a small smile. He sucks in a breath and gives me a tight-lipped smile back.

I have to make him fall for me, fall for_ this_ Bella Swan; and I've gotta bring down this stupid plan he's concocting. Walking up to him with like a woman on a mission – Mission Impossibella that is, but he doesn't need to know that – I grin at him and put out my hand to shake his.

"Hi, Edward. Long time no see." I wink. His face breaks out into the most gorgeous, exhilarating grin, and I feel like someone's punched me in the gut.

_How can I lie to him? Manipulate him? _Use_ him like this?_

That's when I realize, for me, there's only when one Edward. And he's it. There's no my Edward and there's no EC for me. There's only Edward – my best friend, my sunshine, _my…my…_

"_I know you, Isabella. And I know how much you hate lies, I can tell. The world he lives in, there's not a speck of truth in there. Once you're introduced to him and his lifestyle, you'll grow to detest him almost as much as me."_ Jacob's words at the airport that day haunt my mind, showing me reason again.

I chastise myself, _Bella, this is no time to lose focus, you knew what you were getting into. Forget that little Edward epiphany you just had, and get on with it already._

Suddenly, I feel like I'm choking, I can't breathe, no air is reaching my lungs. And you know why that is? It's 'cos Edward's holding me in the mother of all bear-tight, bone-crushing hugs, squeezing the shit out of me. And it's fucking amazing.

"Fuck, Swan! It's you, it's you! It's really _you_. It's Bella Swan, people!" he shouts and laughs, which makes me want to laugh, but I focus on trying to breathe instead. "Oh, _mio Dio_!" Mio what?

"Edward," I gasp. "Can…can't…" And I've used the last of my air supply.

He loosens his hold a little, and I suck in the much needed air. He kisses the top of my head and inhales deeply. I, in turn, bury my nose in his chest and hug him tightly with all I have in me. He smells like some amazing shower gel, man, and just…_Edward_.

I laugh. "Yup, it's me. The one and only." His hands are resting on my back, my very naked back. I curse Alice once again for making me wear this backless gown. I feel all sorts of tingly all over, and my hoo-haa is throbbing something fierce.

"The one and only," he whispers in agreement.

I pat his back as an okay-enough-hugging-let-me-go-now gesture. He certainly gets it, as he tightens his hold just for a moment, and then releases me.

He holds me at arm's length, his eyes giving me a very obvious – and flattering – once over. He whistles. "Look at you, Swan. You certainly managed to clean up well after all these years." He laughs once again, a delighted I-can't-help-it-I'm-just-so-happy laugh.

The old Bella would have wolf whistled and cracked a stupid joke about how he looks hotter than the hottest day in Sahara Desert. But, this, _this_ is the new and reformed Bella Swan. The one who keeps her trap shut and smiles like a submissive bitch.

"Eh, it's nothing," I say dismissively and blush. "But thanks anyway. You, on the other hand, mister, clean up _extremely_ well." Poking him in the chest, I take him in from head to toe; he's donning a pair of perfectly shined black leather shoes, an immaculate charcoal gray suit with a light pink shirt, and no tie. The base of his throat is visible as the top button is open, and I just wanna fucking _lick_ him up.

_Starting from his collar-bone, licking up that sexy Adam's apple, just biting that strong jaw, kissing softly on his earlobe, and whispering in his ear, "Eat my pussy, Edward..."_

I'm pulled out of my less than decent musings as he snaps his fingers in from of my face.

"Bella? You okay? You totally zoned out on me there, honey."

_Oh yeah… I can just spread honey all over him and eat it off that muscular chest._

I shiver slightly, nodding my head, but not meeting his eyes. _Distract him, Bella, or he'll know for sure what you were thinking._ "So, uh, when did you start suiting up like those nine-to-five job people?"

He scoffs. "Nine-to-five. I wish," he mutters. _Yeah I wish, too, Edward_. But then he's back to the playful mood and answers my question, "Right when you started wearing heels and gowns, sweet cheeks." He grins crookedly, that special smile that makes my legs turn into Jell-O.

Edward Cullen will be the death of me. I'm telling ya.

After a few minutes, when both the couples are done with their meet-and-greet, we all settle into the beautiful booth. I sit right where I was sitting earlier with Edward beside me, and Alice and Jasper take the other side. What was supposed to be a "sit and ooze sexiness" session has soon turned into a double date. But, hey, who's complaining?

We place our orders and just talk generally. It's…it's beyond incredible. I don't even have words about how fucking _right_ it feels to sit here with Edward's arm around my shoulders, Jasper's hand around Alice's, and all of us laughing up a storm.

I'm in the middle of telling the story of my first frat party at the uni, when my phone starts ringing. On checking the caller ID, I see that it's Rose. _Fuck._

I decide not to answer the phone right now, but a sadness settles over my previously good mood.

"Bella, you okay? You look a little pale there, and you're about to bite your lip off." Edward pulls my bottom lip out of my teeth's assault. My phone still hasn't stopped ringing, and I wanna pick it up so bad.

I look over at Alice, and she has concern written all over her face. I jerk my head, indicating that we need to talk. We both get up to go to the washroom while the boys express their worry. After we've assured them a few hundred times that's it's just a girl thing, they back off. All this time, my phone still hasn't stopped ringing, and now I know for sure it's something important Rose is calling me about. I speed up, almost running towards the door of the ladies.

"Rose!" I say, a little out of breath.

I'm greeted by a screeching Rose and a laughing Emmett. "Belllaaa babyyy! We're pregnant!"

"Pr-pregnant?" _Pregnant? Rose is pregnant? My Rosalie is pregnant?_ I screech, "Like-like I'm going to be an _aunt_?"

She laughs delightedly, and I can almost see her wiping away the tears and nodding frantically. "Yes, yes, yes! And I'm going to a mommy, B. Oh God, it still hasn't sunk in!"

Alice and I both start jumping up and down in place, and I feel giddy to the point of shaking with happiness. "Aaaahhh! ROSE! Oh my God, my nephew/niece is going to be the most beautiful baby ever! And Aunty Bella is going to spoil him or her rotten, and you'll be the best mommy, and Emmett is going to be a _daddy_! The big baby is going to have his own baby now!" I laugh. "Where is he? I wanna talk to him." I'm so fucking ecstatic and excited.

A _baby_. Wow.

"I know right!" It's like Rose and I just can't stop laughing. This is _awesome._ "Oh no, wait, that's not all. We have something else to tell you too."

"Don't tell me it's twins," I gasp.

"No, silly. It's not that." I breathe a sigh of relief. Two kids at once will be a little much for my Rose; I just know it. "Okay, here goes. Since you're so far away – and we know you just went – but we really, really, want to share this with you." _Please, God, please, let this not go where I think this is going._ "So," she drawls. "We're coming to London, baby!"

"Wow," I whisper. "I can't wait." I try to sound enthusiastic, but it comes out more like a choke. "Listen, I gotta go now. Talk to you in a while. I love you, Rosie. And congratulations, my beautiful mommy-to-be."

With that, I cut the line.

And then…I faint.

* * *

_**Mio Dio - My God!**_

**Uh-oh, trouble ;) Or is it?**

**The next chapter will definitely be out shortly. Maybe within the week even. But I'll need to work a little extra for that :P**

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**Till the next time *waves***


	9. Chapter 8: Forever

**Heyy, guys! This chapter's an EPOV. Let me know how it was? I was really apprehensive about it. That's why it took me so long to update. Anyway, here it is now. I really, really, reaally hope you like it *fingers crossed***

**RL is sucha fucking bitch, it's not even funny. I mean, my teacher hates me just because I was eating in class. Umm...hello? I was fucking hungry! It's not my fault she won't give a single break in a four-hour lecture! **

**Moving on.**

**Thanks to Heather and Ange who make this story awesome. Muah!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Now which of you out there didn't already know this?**

**Enjoyy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Forever**

"Bella, baby, please wake up!" I'm going out of my fucking mind here. I'm frantic. I'm lost. _What do I _do_?_ I feel my brother's hand on my shoulder, and I just wanna snap it off.

"Edward, the doctor's on his way. Please, stay calm, man." His usual calming influence has zero effect on me right now. It's Bella we're talking about here for fuck's sake!

"It's been _ten_ fucking minutes, Jas! She's not moving at all. And where the FUCK is that quack?" I roar. Bella's lying on my lap, all colour simply drained from her beautiful face. When Alice came to the table flailing her arms around, looking scared as hell, I think my heart stopped beating. And when I saw Bella lying on the floor of the bathroom… I've never been more scared in my whole life; and trust me, I've been in some pretty scary situations. _I never want to see her that way again, _this _way again._

"Bella, please, sweetheart, open your eyes," I whisper, just willing for her to somehow hear me, cradling her head in my hands and running my fingers through her hair. I'm fucking desperate here. She looks so frail lying in my arms, unconscious. It kills me to see her like this, and I'm holding back sobs. It wouldn't do much good to anyone if I broke down. And EC crying? Yeah, I'll do that in front of my men when I want to look like a pussy.

"Edward, the doctor's here."

"Thank fucking _God_! What took you so long?" Annoyance fills me. "Fix her. Now," I command, laying Bella on the couch in the extravagant washroom of _Il Cigno_, as the quack checks her vitals and takes her blood pressure.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Cullen, but there was so much traffic on the wa –" I give him a death glare, effectively shutting him up. I really couldn't give two fucks about his traffic problems right now. He better concentrate on making Bella perfect again.

After he's done with all his medical bullshit, he begins to tell us his diagnosis, "Looks like she had a panic attack. From what I gather, and how quickly it affected her system, I'm guessing she's a quick fainter." Yes, she always has been. But, that's no news. He senses my irritation and quickly continues, "But I've given her a dose of glucose, and she should be fine in about half an hour."

_Half an hour?_

"What do you mean half an hour?" I bellow, directing my Glock right on his fucking temple. "If she's fine, then she should be waking the fuck up NOW! You're a fucking doctor, so you better fix her!" My body is trembling with the absolute anger I feel toward this quack. Seeing the fear in his eyes, I dig my piece into his head, tighter, harder.

"EC, man, cool it. She'll be fine." Jasper tugs on my hand, and I let the quack go with a growl of frustration. Jasper starts talking into my ear so that only I can hear him, "You're making quite a scene, and everyone's wondering who's got Boss Man into this twist. You don't want people to know how much she means to you, Edward. Calm the fuck down." He's right of course. Jasper, my brother, my underboss, cooled me down.

I nod discreetly. "This mamaluke is useless. Call Emmett." Emmett is our family doctor. If he can clean gun wounds and the shit that he sees in _our_ line of…work everyday, he should be able to fix Bella.

"Already did. The missus is expecting, they got news today. He says it might take time to get out of there," Jasper informs me. Emmett's wife and sister-in-law don't know about his illegal activities. He wouldn't let me talk to them even though we're best friends; he's just that protective. I don't even know their names. And it's not like he does anything illegal himself, but he's just as much a part of it as anyone else. That's just the way it is. Once you're in, you're in for life.

I literally want to laugh at what Jasper told me though. "Take time? You know what to do, Jasper. Call the motherfucker, and tell him to meet me at _Il Cigno_ tomorrow afternoon." Emmett knows better than this, best friend or not. He knows we strictly follow the Ten Commandments, and the fifth one clearly states: "Always being available for _Cosa Nostra_ is a duty - even if your wife is about to give birth." And his wife sure as hell ain't giving birth yet. When the Skipper calls, he better fucking be there.

In my peripheral, I see Alice hyperventilating. "Alice? What's wrong?" She's shaking like a leaf and looks white as a ghost.

"Uh, I…who's Emmett?" she whispers. _That's an odd question. Why would she care who Emmett is? _

"He's our family doctor. Emmett McCarty, the heart surgeon. Why?" Jasper answers her. My eyes quickly snap to his, and he cowers under my glare. He knows he's overstepped his boundaries, and he knows he was supposed to keep his mouth shut. I can see how smitten he is with Shorty, but opening his mouth to spout names of our associates? Not a smart move.

"No, I-I thought I'd heard about him. Famous doc." Alice still looks petrified. _Is she just concerned over her friend, or is this fear something else entirely? Nah, what could this little cutie be up to? I'm just over-thinking. _

"Okay, guys, I think I'll just take Bella over to my place." I'm doing this for entirely selfish reasons of course. I don't want my time to end with her just yet. Turning to Alice, I say, "You two shouldn't be alone tonight, if something else were to happen. Why don't you head home with Jasper, while I take Bella? I'm sure you have a lot of questions for us."

Seeing about ten men, my _soldatos_, pull out their guns on entering the washroom; them calling me Skipper or Boss Man; me pulling out my Glock, like I do it everyday – all this has to have raised questions in her head.

She looks conflicted for a minute, and then she looks me in the eye. I think she knows this now – what Edward Cullen says, goes. There was never a question of conflict. Nodding silently, she accompanies Jasper out of the restaurant, after whispering a quick goodbye to Bella and giving me a hug.

I carefully pick Bella up and carry her out of the restaurant and into my car. Usually, Felix drives me wherever I go, but tonight, I just wanted to be alone with her. He's already swept the car and will be following us home in his own car anyway.

Driving always helps me clear my head, and today is no different. Now that Bella is back in my life, a lot of things are going to change. When I was a kid, Bella was my best friend. When I was eleven, Bella was my go-to girl, my partner in crime. When I was a teenager, Bella was my first crush, my first love, my first kiss, my first dance. This girl is my everything. My Bella's all I've ever known. After we'd had that godforsaken fight, I thought we'd make up like we always did. And then, she'd left Forks. Just like that. I was young and stupid, and so very pissed at her. I moved on, fucked around, became a made-man, and haven't looked back since then.

It didn't even take me six months to realize how much she'd actually meant to me, how much I missed her. Even in my adolescent age, I had known that she was it for me. No matter how hard I tried, there was no filling the void she'd left in my heart. I wasn't depressed or morbid by any means, more like incomplete. I had all the means and resources to find her. Everything about every day of her life since she'd left would be on my desk in a heartbeat. But the fact that she'd never contacted me had always held me back. I hadn't known where she went to, but she always knew where I was, and I never received even a letter, hell a Facebook notification from her! She totally cut me off from her life, and if that's what she wanted, I was going to respect her wishes. Also, it had a lot to do with my own fucked-up brain full of insecurities and selfish desires. I just hoped that somewhere she'd be just as miserable as me, missing me. If I'd found out that she had a boyfriend, or worse yet a husband, I don't know what that would've led me to do. Probably kill the fucker, and then kill myself.

But all that was in the past. She was sitting here right next to me, albeit unconscious, and looking as lovely as ever. How had I lived seven years without her? _Never again_, I promise myself.

I carry her up to my penthouse apartment, proceeding to lay her down on my bed. She looks absolutely breathtaking lying on the golden covers. It truly is a sight to behold. It's also been almost half an hour, so she should be waking up any time now.

I quickly step out of my clothes and put on some white pajamas. I don't bother with a shirt, never have actually. The doctor said to give her two Aspirins and something to eat. After putting the medicines and water on the nightstand, I go over to the kitchen. Being the total crippled fuck I am in the kitchen, I whip up a ham sandwich for her, throwing in all the Italian herbs Mom stuffed in the cabinet.

_I think it'll taste fine. It's full of Italian herbs and dressings, and it smells all right to me. So it can't be bad. _

I'm pouring juice in a glass, when I hear a bloodcurdling scream.

My world stops.

The glass falls from my grasp, shattering into pieces. The speed with which I run towards my bedroom must've been a record. I snatch a piece from a cabinet in the living room, all the time praying, just praying Bella's okay.

"Bella," I gasp. She's curled in a fetal position on the bed, sobbing. "Baby, are you hurt?" She shakes her head. I let out a breath I'd been holding ever since I'd heard the scream.

_She's fine. She's fine. Thank fucking God. _

As much as I want to go to her, I first have to cover all my bases. Pulling out the gun, I check every corner of the room, behind the curtains, and in the bathroom. Once I'm convinced that no one's here, I hurry over to where Bella is still shaking. Thankfully, she doesn't notice the gun in my hand, barely having opened her eyes. I stuff it under the pillow.

"Bella, Bella, it's me." I hug her tightly, rocking us. "It's Edward, baby. What happened? We're in my room, you're fine, you're safe." I assure her again and again. "Please, stop crying," I beg.

"Edward," she sobs again. "I-I was…so scared. I'm so sorry!"

"What? Why the fuck are you sorry?"

"I don't know what came over me. The last thing I remember is the pho – uh, being in the washroom. And then I wake up here. I-I didn't know where I was and," she hiccups, "it was so dark, I got freaked out for some reason. I'm so glad you're here, Edward," she whispers the last part and buries her head in my chest. She feels safe with me, and this makes me feel like a million fucking dollars.

"I'm always here, Bella. Shhh. We're fine. I just went to the kitchen to get you something to eat. You were knocked out for quite some time, hon. Gave us all quite a scare." I press my lips to the top of her head, still comforting her.

Ten minutes later, she mumbles something about wanting food and drugs. I give her the medicines and bring the plate of sandwiches in.

"Here you go," I say, cautiously handing over the plate to her. My food should come with a hazardous label stamped over it. I'm capable of doing a lot of things, but cooking isn't one of my assets. Her stomach grumbles, and she hurriedly takes a big bite.

Only to spit it right out and start coughing. _Yeah, I should never try to feed anyone but my dog._

"That's a…l-lot of oil and dried herbs…in there," she splutters between coughs. I pat her back, while silently holding in laughter. That was some funny shit. _I'll call Felix and tell him to bring his ass here with the best Italian food he can find in town. Yeah, that should make up for it. _

"Yeah." I chuckle. "I was going for a ham sandwich. I have no idea what shit came out instead. Sorry you had to eat…that."

She looks up at me through her lashes and grins. She looks at me like this, and I'm ready to be a fucking slave to her commands. "Still can't cook to save your life, huh?"

She remembers. My heart fucking soars, flutters in my chest and all that pussy-whipped shit. Damn, this woman. I grin cheekily. "Never had the need to. I'll tell Felix to get you something from a restaurant alright?"

"What? At this time of the night?" I nod. _They'll open the restaurant at four in the fucking morning for Felix. Well, Felix and his Glock. _"No, thanks. I'll just make a sandwich for myself."

"Do whatever." I wave my hand, showing her over to the kitchen. Realizing that she's still wearing that barely there dress, I hand her one of my shirts and pajamas. "They'll probably be big for you, but you can… I don't know, tie them up or something?" I scrunch my nose. Fuck knows I don't want her to wear anything. But, eh, that's just me and my sorry dick.

She rolls her eyes and goes into the bathroom. I sit on my bed and make a few calls while waiting for her to get changed. Some shit has come up with the junk business in downtown Chicago. They want to go to the table with Boss Man, aka me, and want my protection. But, they had to whack _my_ guys to get our attention first since I refused to have a sit-down with those pieces of shit. Fucked-up move on their part, is all I'm saying.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go." Can I just say she looks fucking sexy in my clothes? My personal seductress sent by the Gods to destroy all rational thoughts? 'Cos that's exactly what she is, and that's exactly what she does.

Leading her over to the kitchen, I show her where she can find all the essentials, and then plop my ass down on one of the stools. She gets to work immediately, heating the pan and adding olive oil. Meh, she can cook sprouts and I'd eat it.

"Oh fuck. I totally forgot about Alice. I should call her and tell her that I'm fine. She must be worried out of her mind," she exclaims. I nod in agreement and move to get Bella's phone from my room. The faster she makes food, the faster can I get her back into bed.

"She's staying over at Jasper's for the night," I holler from my room, almost running back to the kitchen.

After I've handed her phone to her, she quickly dials Alice's number, now stirring up some sauce in the pan. It smells simply mouth-watering. I don't tell her that Jasper lives in the same building, or she might want to go meet Alice or some shit. Women are…_unusual_ creatures. I listen to her side of the conversation with Alice, and they've already decided that I'll drop them back home. Oh, well, whatever the fuck. I'll become her driver if that's what Bella wants. _Okay, maybe not that._

Bella ends the call and starts, "So, who's Felix?"

_Do I lie to her and tell her that he's just someone I know, or do I tell her he's my driver?_

"Felix is my driver." I've never lied to Bella, and hopefully never will.

She hums, but then asks, "Driver? What do you need a driver for?"

"What are you making?" I can't answer her question without lying, and that's the last thing I want to do. So I ask her one of my own questions. Her eyes snap up to mine, wondering why I dodged the Felix subject. I simply shrug, really not having an answer for her.

She nods understandingly, going back to work on the sauce. _That is exactly what I need in my wife; understanding me when I can't answer her, no questions asked. _"I'm making spaghetti. There was some pre-boiled spaghetti in your fridge, so I just decided to use that. You like it right?"

Like it? Fucking love it! "Of course I do, Bella. I'd eat anything you make, it's always awesome." I wink at her, causing her to blush. _Gorgeous. _

About twenty minutes and some small talk later, we're both sitting in front of the TV with our plates full of spaghetti. I take the first bite and moan. This is fucking _amazing_! Like, the best I've ever had! I think it's better than Mom's, but of course I'd never tell her that.

"You like it?" She beams at me.

"Like it? God, Bella, I love it! Will you work as a chef in my restaurant?" I'm serious about this; I'd totally hire her in a heartbeat.

She throws her head back and laughs. "No, I think I'm good." _Oh yeah, I'm good too, baby. _

We watch some girly shit on TV, and I take second and third helpings. This shit is just too motherfucking good. I haven't asked her about what led to her having a panic attack. I know I have every reason to, but when I asked her how she was feeling now, she became sullen. Like really fucking down. I didn't have the heart to broach the topic again.

"I'll sleep in the guest room, and you'll sleep in my room. Cool?" I say, picking up our clean plates and putting them in the dishwasher.

"What?" she shouts. "No! Not cool! _I'll_ sleep in the guest bedroom, and you'll sleep in _your_ room."

"What's the problem? My bed is much more comfortable, and I don't want you to pass out on me again. Excuse me for making sure my bes – uh, you…you stay comfy." Fuck. I almost said best-friend. _Whew, good save._

She blushes a deep red, and something tells me that my slip didn't go unnoticed. _Of course not. This is Bella Swan, the girl who knows me like the back of her hand_. She nods. "We'll both sleep in your room. It's…it's not that big a deal. And the bed is humongous anyway."

The happiest man on the earth right now – Edward Cullen.

_Fuck, yeah._

"Really?" I'm surprised and so bloody excited at the same time. The last time we were in the same bed had been seven years ago. And now, seven years later, the prospect was just as thrilling as ever.

She pinches my cheeks between her knuckles and laughs, cooing, "You're cute." I grin like a mamaluke. "And yes, really. But, hey, no funny business." She waves her finger under my nose, narrowing her eyes.

Laughing, I reply, "You're so fucking cute, Bella."

_We'll be in the same bed all night, and no funny business? Yeah, right._

* * *

**Glock - a brand of gun**

**Junk business - this basically means drug business**

**go to the table - have a sit-down or meeting**

**whack - kill**

**soldatos - soldiers in the literal sense, but basically Edward's men. **

**mamaluke - a fag**

**Anything else you have questions about? Feel free to ask!**

**How was it? Eeeep! I'm so scared to see your reactions. Well, the next chapter is already written; does that make you love me still...? *looks around sheepishly***

**Please leave a review! That's what tells me if you guys are still reading it. Review=love people!**

**Till the next time *two finger salute***


	10. Chapter 9: Everything Is Fake

**Hello, there! How have y'all been, lovely people? I just want to thank each and every one of you for all your continued support. It means so much more to me than you'll ever know. Soooo THANK YOU! *hugs from EC***

**I reply to all your reviews, but some of you have your PM disabled, so please enable it guys! **

**And I would like to thank Shimmer who never fails to make me grin so big with her amazing words and all her love. I wish you'd make an account so I could thank you personally, hon!**

**Well, here it is!**

**A huge thanks to Ange (thanks for the valuable advice) and Heather (I'm so glad you loved this chapter). I heart my betas.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Now, who didn't know that?**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Everything Is Fake**

Slipping under the covers, I breathe a contended sigh. Today was a good day for the most part. The fact that Rose is pregnant is probably the most amazing news I've heard since that fateful day at the airport. I know that the whole situation is getting more complicated by the minute, but, eh, what the fuck is Jacob here for?

But one thing that's scaring me so much that I can't breathe is my feelings for Edward. It's crazy how all over the place I'm feeling. Not to mention the fact that he's so loving, so compassionate, so…so _wonderful_, that it's next to impossible not to dote on him. I can tell he trusts me, and look at me, misusing his trust. But here's the thing – underneath all that Mafia, Skipper and Boss Man bullshit, there's Edward. I was so wrong to think that this was not my Edward because as I talk to him more, I realize that he really hasn't changed much. Still tugs on his hair when he's frustrated, still hovers and protects me, still is fiercely loyal, and is still essentially the same person. The only difference is, now he can pull out a gun freely, shoot anyone without second thoughts, trade narcotics, launder money, and… See what I mean by all over the place? One minute I'm thinking about coming clean with him and just give in to my feelings; and the next, I'm burning in fury about how he can be so ruthless.

"Bella?" he says softly.

I turn towards him; we're barely inches apart, and his Edward scent assaults my senses. "Hmm?"

"What are you thinking so hard about?" He reaches out to wipe tears from my cheeks. _I was crying?_

"Can I-can you hug me, Edward?" I sob. All these emotions had been piling up inside me for far too long. It was all bound to come out sometime; it was all bound to make my head throb with pain and bawl my eyes out. I had just hoped this wouldn't have happened with Edward. Yet, in a way, I'm glad it's him. He had the power to comfort me like no one else ever did.

"Of course, baby. What's wrong?" he asks worriedly and quickly scoots over, engulfing me in his embrace and crushing me to his chest. I feel him shudder, and that hurts me so much more. My touch means so much to him, it means so much to_ me_ also, and yet, I'm a liar…

For the first time, I really, truly question myself – am I doing the right thing here?

I don't know how long I cry, but it's more than today's events that leave me gasping for air as I soak Edward's bare chest. It's so much more. Significant and insignificant things. Everything from meeting Edward and Jasper, and me never getting closure or even an explanation from Edward seven years ago; the way his love for me shone through his every action and word; Alice and Jasper; right and wrong, truth and lies. And then the good things, the really good things… like Rose's pregnancy, seeing Edward, my best-friend after seven long years, seeing what a wonderful man he truly is, how sweet he is, and how much he takes care of me… the way he looks at me, with so much adoration and devotion… the way he lights up when I move myself closer to him or when I say that a simple thing like sleeping in the same bed is alright. All our time spent in his wonderful apartment, just the two of us alone…

It's just so fucking overwhelming, and tonight… to see the other side, to see him pull out a gun in his own house, so unsafe he felt _here_ as well. He thought I didn't see him stuff it under the pillow, but he was wrong. I know so much more about him than he thinks I do, and yet here I am, sobbing into his chest, wishing I never have to move…

And I'm a woman on a mission. I swore to bring down this whole empire of theirs; but in this moment, I feel like it's not possible for me to let a hair on Edward be harmed. Let alone me being the catalyst behind it…

But, I still in no way can overlook what he does. What happened to Eric… How can I let it slide? How can I just turn a blind eye to his…_business_ if you can even call it that? He's in the Mafia for heaven's sake. And come on, who hasn't seen Godfather and Goodfellas? These people do some pretty serious shit.

Fuck, I'm just all over the place.

The sobbing finally stops, but as desperately as before, I hold on to my man.

"Tired, baby?" Edward whispers.

I shiver as his breath washes over my neck, and though I'm not sleepy, I'm definitely exhausted, so I nod, my face still buried in the crook of his neck where I could smell him most. It was a scent I no longer just missed, but craved.

"Let's try and get some sleep alright?" he suggests quietly, and again, I nod, but hold him tighter, making it perfectly clear to him that he is under no circumstances leaving me.

As smoothly as possible, he peels off my clothes as I still hold onto him, and he kisses me softly and gently, on my cheeks, my temple, my forehead, my eyelids, whispering sweet stuff as he gets rid of our clothes, and then, in pure relief and nothing but my underclothes, I snuggle into Edward's arms, pressing my body to him, loving the feeling of skin-on-skin.

There's nothing sexual about it, for either of us, as we stay close under the covers, in nothing but underwear. It's comfort. Relief and comfort.

"I'm so sorry for whatever you're going through, sweet cheeks." He sighs heavily, and I can picture him staring at the ceiling, but I was not leaving his neck just to check if I was right. He smells too comforting for that.

"Don't apologize," I whisper, knowing that my voice will be raspy as hell if I speak louder. "Just don't leave me."

"Never. Not even an option for me… But…" He sighs again, tightening his hold on me as he presses his lips against the top of my head. "Your safety means everything to me, Bella, and…" He shakes his head, I can feel that. "Seeing you passed out like that almost killed me. Not only that, but…there are things you don't know about me, things that I'm…I'm scared to tell you," he whispers. "You have to let me in though, Bella. I can tell that something is hurting you so bad, and I understand you're not ready to tell me yet. But…baby, how can I help you if you won't give me the chance?"

I know this. I have to give him a chance, give _us_ a chance. But before that, I need to talk to Alice. This involves her as much as it involves me, and if I were to come clean to Edward anytime soon, Alice needs to speak to Jasper as well. And then with Jacob… Can we just up and leave like that? Will he _let_ us leave like that? I know I want Edward, and I'm not going to lie to him much longer if I can help it. But the shit with the FBI is just too fucking complicated right now. I have to wait it out. Wait for the right opportunity to present itself and then grab it with both hands. I just hope it's not too late when it finally does show though… Never did I think that I would get myself into this big a mess.

"I-I just need some time. I'll tell you everything…I _want_ to tell you everything." I take in a deep breath and continue, diverting the subject, "What are you scared to tell me, Edward?"

I also know that he's not ready to tell me his story yet, and I'm willing to wait. I'd be the biggest hypocrite on the planet if I said otherwise. I feel him, hear him, swallow loudly, and he lets out a shuddering breath.

"Bella, I-I'm not the same person anymore." The fast beating of his heart is indication of how hard this is for him. I don't say anything, and neither does he. But I know the exact moment he decides to come out with it, because I feel his heart rate slowing, his body language changes to one of conviction, and he lets out that final breath, as if to say _here goes_. "Bella, I'm the head of Vo – "

"You know what? Let's-let's forget about it right now. I don't wanna think about it." He was going to say it, lay it all out there for me. And I panicked. I had to stop him. "We'll make a deal alright? When I air all my…baggage, is the day you tell me all of yours. It's only fair."

Positioning himself lower, he turns onto his side, facing me, our foreheads touching, and with that deep crease that just screamed _doubt_, he studies me. Caresses my cheek and studies me, and though I know my eyes are till filled with unshed tears, I also know he won't find any hesitation in them.

"Okay," he whispers. I snuggle closer to him, letting sleep overtake me, deciding to take one day at a time.

_**~TETB~**_

The next morning, Edward drops Alice and me at my apartment. The mood during breakfast, as well as in the car, was somber. No one said much, and no promises of meeting again soon were made.

"Bella, what the hell was that?" Alice exclaims as soon as we enter the apartment.

"What are you talking about?" I mumble, just wanting for her to stop being so damn observant and drop the subject.

"You know very well what I'm talking about. There was so much…so much _tension_ in the car. Not the good, sexual kind either, the bad kind. What happened last night?"

How do I broach the topic with her? _So, Alice, I've decided that I want to give my mob man a chance, and I know you're dying to give the brother of said mob boss one as well. But since we're both Satan's bitches, lying to them, I would like for us to run from here. Yes, Alice, run away. Elope. Whatever. But not _with_ our men, more like _to_ our men. And yes, I'm talking about running away from the FBI. How does that sound to you?_

I pull Alice into my room and shut the door behind me.

And then, I proceed to tell her exactly all this. Only in many more words and taking a more diplomatic approach. At the end of my little speech, she just stares at me. Unblinking, unwavering stares at me.

"Alice?" I say hesitantly.

"You're right. I do want Jasper, and I think he might…want me too. Bella, I-I…" She's going to say this is all stupid, she's going to say I've gone crazy. I just know it. "I really, _really_ want this."

What?

She continues, "You want to run away? We can go now. We don't have to pack anything, the boys will understand. We haven't done anything wrong…yet, Bella. Let's go _now_, before Jacob comes back." She's frenzied, pacing the room like crazy and spouting gibberish.

"Alice, listen to me." I place my hand on her shoulder, halting her mad pacing, and lead her back to the bed. "We can't just leave like that. Jacob will find us, and the entire FBI will be on our ass. The boys will get into trouble, and we can't have that. I agree when you say that we have to leave as soon as possible, but now's not the right time." _Yes, it's not the right time_, I try to convince myself_. _"And we…we don't know if Edward and Jasper will forgive us. They might not," I whisper.

I've never seen Alice looking so…so lost. She's staring at me with wide, scared eyes. "You think they won't forgive us?" she gasps, and then groans. "Bella, I hate that I'm in this mess. Last night, I wanted to tell him everything. You have no idea how amazing he is, and just being around him makes me feel whole. Complete. Do something, Bella, please. Get us out of here." She's openly crying in my arms now, pleading me to do something. But what do I _do_?

"Shh, Ali, please, stop crying. I-I need to talk to Emmett and Rose also, I just cut the phone so abrup –"

"Emmett," she gasps suddenly. Her hands hold mine in a death grip, and she stares into my eyes. "Bella, I think there's something not right with Jacob. He's lying to us, or at the very least, keeping some things from us."

"What –" I'm so fucking confused.

"Just hear me out, please." I nod. "Last night, when you were passed out, Edward said to call Emmett."

"He _what_?" I screech. "How does he even _know_ – "

"Will you let me finish," she snaps. I shut up, while my mind is reeling. "I asked Jasper who he was, and he told me it was Emmett McCarty, their family doctor, the heart surgeon. How many Dr. Emmett McCartys do you think there are in Chicago, Bella?"

"One," I whisper.

"Exactly. One. And you think Jacob didn't know about this? He knows every single thing there is to know about this thing of theirs. He didn't tell us shit about Emmett being connected to the Cullens. This is big, Bella, you know that."

I stay silent, shocked beyond words. There's nothing left to say.

Jacob told me everything about the Cullens; from their cook to their bodyguards, and he so _conveniently_ forgot to mention my brother-in-law was their family doctor? Was this the reason he wanted me to lie to Rose and Em? He knew that I would never do anything which would put them in the line of danger, and if Emmett found out what I had been doing, all hell would break lose. Edward would've killed me, Emmett would've followed. By the looks of it, Edward has no idea I'm related to Emmett. This is a bigger fuck-up than I thought it was.

"Why," I begin, but my voice is gritty. Clearing my throat loudly, I start again, "Why do you think Jacob did that?"

"Hell if I know! Bella, something tells me…my _gut_…if you will, that Jacob has an ulterior motive in all of this."

"Maybe, it's definitely possible." Hell at this point, anything is possible. I wouldn't put anything out of anybody's reach, under-estimate anyone. And expectations… yeah, expectations are the mother of all fuck-ups. So I've given up hope in that department.

"Thank God we didn't sign any of that shit he asked us to. We're still free to walk aw –"

"Bella? Alice?"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I chant. "Jake's here. What do we say to him about last night? You think we should tell him the truth?" I whisper-yell at Alice, who's started the mad pacing again. "Alice!"

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking! God, shit is so fucking dense; it's not even funny anymore!" She throws her hand in the air, letting out a silent scream.

"Guys?" He's getting closer.

"Uh, yeah, we're in my room, Jake," I yell. I look at Alice with a you-better-have-an-explanation-for-him-coz-I-have-nothing expression.

He bursts into my room with the silliest grin on his face. Yesterday, I would've thought that was cute; today, I realize that it's almost too wide, too fake. "Here are my favorite girls!"

I share a look with Alice, and I know we're both thinking the same thing.

_Fake, fake, fake._

Suddenly, Alice lets out this high-pitched squeal and starts jumping. "Oh, Jake! Yesterday was awesome! We have sooo much to tell you!"

"Yeah?" He looks so fucking excited, like a little puppy. I just wanna kick him in the balls.

"Yup!" _Okay, calm, Bella, Alice must have a plan; she always has a plan. _"Alright, so after we went to the restaurant, Edward came in, just like you said he would. And oh God, he was like all over Bella." _He was? When?_ "So you don't have to worry about it at all. Bella's got him eating out of the palm of her hand, and I assure you that he'll tell her anything she wants to know."

"Is this true, Bella?" Jake turns to me, his eyes wide and hopeful.

"Uh huh, totally," is my verbose response.

Alice jumps in again, but this time, she pouts. "But there's this tiny crisis, Jake."

"Crisis?" He whips his head back to her, a crease to his brows.

"Yeah." She pouts bigger now, shooting me a wink when Jake sort of zones out. "Edward wants to meet Rose and," she pauses. "Emmett."

"Em-Emmett?" he stutters.

"Yeah." I say, raising an eyebrow for good measure. "Is that a problem?" Well sure as fuck that's a problem. Em and Rose think I'm in London for one. Alice knows this, but she said it only to throw Jake off-balance, see his reaction.

"Di-did you tell him Emmett's full name? What he does for a living?" Aahh, now we're getting somewhere. "I mean, only for Emmett's protection of course." Of fucking course. "You shouldn't tell EC any of your personal details."

"No, I didn't." He breathes a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing. I look at Alice from the corner of my eye, and I know now that we were spot on – Jake is deliberately hiding this tidbit of information from us.

"Yeah," I continue. "So what are we going to do about the whole wanting to meet them situation?" I want to get as much of his plan as I can out of him. This man is really starting to creep me out, and I don't like being creeped out by a pig.

"Well, you have to work your magic here, Bella. Do something. Tell him that you hate your brother-in-law, I don't know. He obviously can't meet Emmett, you know that."

I look to Alice for help. We've got to keep him going while he's acting so vulnerable.

"Jake…we need to talk. Bella and I. Can you give us a minute?" she says.

"_We_? What do _you_ two have to discuss that you can't say with me here?" He looks at Alice accusingly.

"We need to see what we can do to convince Edward to let the Emmett thing go. It involves some…girl stuff that you don't want to hear. Trust me."

I look at her, mouthing "What the fuck?", and she just shrugs, grinning.

Jacob looks deep in thought for a few minutes, and then nods. "Alright. Do whatever, but just make sure that EC's off Emmett's back."

"Oh, don't worry." I smile that sickeningly sweet smile. "_No one_ is going to hurt my family."

* * *

***CaraNo gave me permission to use a few direct words from her fanfic This Life. No copyright infringement intended.***

**The next chapter will be up as soon as I'm done writing it. Fear not, peeps. **

**Well, who liked it? :D Let me know! Your reviews tell me what you think of my efforts, and I love hearing from you guys!**

**Till the next time *two finger salute***


	11. Chapter 10: Pepper Spray

**Heyy, you guys! OMG you people totally blew up my inbox with the last chapter! Thank you soooo fucking much. All the favorites, alerts and reviews really floored me, guys. I broke my 100 reviews virginity with the last chapter, and I really can't thank you guys enough for loving the story the way you do! I'm guessing that some of you came over from Fictionators? If you did, please let me know :) **

**And for all those people who don't know, I'll be posting a short teaser of the next chapter on the fictionators website. So you can go check it out every Monday, if you want. **

**Hope you guys like this chapter as much as I did. **

**Thanks so much Heather and Ange for correcting my mistakes. These girls are awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. *looks around for FF police***

**Enjoyy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Pepper Spray**

_**Forks, 2000**_

"_Hey, Edward, who are these people?" I eye the two men suspiciously. They're wearing all black clothes and black goggles. I can't see their faces clearly, 'cos they're SO much taller than me that I need to stand up on my toes to get a proper look at them; they're taller than Edward even. But they look scary and creepy; Edward is anything but that._

_He scrunches up his nose. "That's Alec." He points to the huge black guy who nods in my direction. I shrink back. "And that's James." He points to the other blond guy who's just as big as the first one. This James nods his head as well. But he's not as scary. "They're cool," Edward continues. "Dad said they're here to keep me company." _

_Edward's dad's really nice and cool. My dad on the other hand… _

_Anyway, we are in the Cullens' big backyard, and Edward was playing some boy game on his new Game Boy. Since he turned twelve, and especially since Carlisle got him this new video game, Edward doesn't play with me much. _

"_Why do _they _have to keep you company?" I narrow my eyes at the two Big Bad Boys._

_He shrugs. "Because Dad said so."_

"_Yeah, but _why_?" He doesn't get my point._

"_I don't know, Bella! You ask so many questions. God, you're such an annoying little ten-year-old KID."_

_His words feel like a slap to my face. I've had enough of this now. "Well, since I'm such a 'kid', then don't you talk to me," I shout. "Go call your other 'big' friends to sit and watch you play video games all day!" I yell, pushing his shoulder and running home._

_All afternoon, I just eat and listen to music. Edward makes me so, so angry sometimes. I don't even know why I call him my best-friend. He doesn't value me or my friendship, so I shouldn't give him too much attention either. He can go hang out with his twelve-year-old friends, since I'm not good enough for him anymore._

_Suddenly, I feel a squeeze on my shoulder. I screech and quickly pull out the pepper spray from my hidden trouser pocket. Daddy says better safe than mope-y later._

_Nobody is home, and my parents would only be back three hours later. I wildly start spraying the can and shouting._

"_Gah! Stop, Bella! It's me!" The stranger covers his eyes and starts shouting something._

"_I don't know any 'me'!" I cry and make a beeline for the door. All this happened in a matter of about ten seconds. Run, Bella, run!_

"_BELLAAA! It's Edward, you crazy girl!" _

_I stop in my tracks, slowly turning to face him. _

_Oh, poop._

_He narrows his eyes at me. _

_I blink, a smirk slowly takes over my face, and then I start laughing. "You totally asked for that!"_

_He growls. "I did not." _

"_Well," – I grin – "you totally _deserved_ it."_

_And there's that laughter in his eyes. And I know that no matter what, Edward Cullen is my best-friend forever._

_**~TETB~**_

Things always happen for a reason. There are two sides to a story; two faces to a coin. Everything works out in the end, just have faith. If you want something with all your heart, the whole universe conspires to make it yours.

How many times have we heard these lines promising eternal happiness, eternal love? Thousands. That's how many times. And how much do I actually believe it? Not at all. That's how much. I like to believe that I'm one of those people who like to keep trouble, and the sadness that follows, at arm's length. But recently, that's all that my life seems to be spinning around. It's exhausting having to analyze your every step.

"Bella?"

"Huhh? Uh…in the kitchen…?"_ What the…?_ I sip my coffee and continue cutting up the apple slowly.

"Morning…"

"Good morning to you too, Edward." I grin, a little amused. God alone knows how he knew I was here; he'd been sleeping while I'd snuck in. I'd wanted to surprise him by coming up to his apartment like the stealth little chick I am. Nothing surprises this man I suppose.

"I assume Jasper buzzed you in?" He grins cockily and gives me a kiss on the forehead, stealing my coffee and gulping down what was left of it. For some reason, I really don't mind… and I'm not big on sharing my stuff.

I narrow my eyes at him and nod stiffly. Damn, I'd really wanted to surprise him by feeding him some of my fuck-awesome breakfast specials. In thanks for taking care of me when I'd passed out and letting me cry without getting annoyed. Not because I wanted an excuse to see him. Pssh! Of course, not.

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He's _still_ grinning. And I feel like I might just drown in my own drool. Fuck him and his hotness. So unfair!

"I bought you some breakfast. I wanted to thank you for…last to last night. And, um, taking care of me…and bearing with me."

Yeah, that sounded like an acceptable thank you. Not knowing what else to really say, I just shut up.

"Of course, _donna_. You don't have to thank me." He waves his hand to indicate that it's no big deal really and excitedly takes out all the food I'd packed from home.

"_Donna?"_ I ask, intrigued. He just said something in Italian, and not knowing the language myself, I'm quite curious to know what he just called me.

"What?" he says with his mouth full of pancakes and maple syrup. Disgusting. I hate it when people talk with food trickling out of their mouths.

"Nothing." I make a face at him. He just laughs and continues to stuff his face.

Such an animal, I tell you.

"Alright." He shrugs.

"Alright," I repeat.

_Hello, awkward moment at the breakfast table._

"So… I guess I'll just be going now. I just wanted to say thank you and please."

_Please?_ I didn't want to say _please_! Why would I say _please_? My big mouth will be the demise of me some day. Not kidding.

"Please?" Oh yeah, he caught that. He hasn't stopped eating, but it's slowed down a little now, and I can see that world-famous smirk on his face again.

"Uh… I meant thank you and sorry. Not please. Sorry for…being such an emotional retard?"

His grin now turns awfully cocky. "Are you _sure_ you didn't mean please?"

"Yes!" I snap. My self-esteem is now floating in some deep, deep part of the Pacific Ocean. "Why would I say please to _you_ anyway?"

"Oh, I can think of a few reasons." He winks at me, and then starts panting, closing his eyes and fisting his hands, "Edward, _oh_, Edward, _pleaseee_ –"

I hit him on his arm, effectively shutting him up. Our eyes meet, and we both crack up. "You're crazy," I wheeze between laughing like a lunatic and hitting him repeatedly.

"Okay, okay!" He holds up his hands in surrender and stands up to hug me tightly. "God, I've missed you so much." He sighs reverentially and kisses the top of my head.

"I missed you too." I sigh happily, tightening my hold on his torso.

"Oh and, Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"You know I'm always up for whenever you feel like…_pleading_ to me."

"Edward!"

"What?" He laughs boisterously.

"I swear I'll pepper spray you to death one of these days."

_**~TETB~**_

"Honey, I'm home!" I enter the apartment and throw my keys on the side-table, plopping down on the couch. "Alice?"

Yes, dahhhling, would you like some tea?" She bats her eyelashes at me, playing along.

I scrunch up my nose. "What's with the English accent?"

She shrugs, now going back to normal. "Jasper's last girlfriend was British."

"And?" I hedge. I don't get what she's getting at.

"His last girlfriend was an English _lady_. I'm more of an I'll-bust-your-balls type. You think I should be like more how-do-you-do-Sir type?"

"Nahh, you're cool. That English what's-her-face was his past, and you're his present. Wait." I narrow my eyes at her. "_Are_ you his present?"

She blows out a breath and plops down beside me. "No, not…yet. We've been talking since I stayed over two days ago…and he _seems_ to be interested. And it's no secret that I'm _very_ interested. But, we'll see how it goes. As of now though, we're just friends." She wants to say more, I can tell. "And…"

"Yeah? And…?"

"It's just… Bella, he's Jasper _Cullen_, underboss in a fucking Mafioso. This title is enough to make me take a step back and actually think about it. Yesterday, I said all these things about wanting him and running away, but the truth is that…" She takes a deep, calming breath. "The truth is that the thought of being a mafia girlfriend scares the shit out of me. Once I'm in it, I'll be in for life – no getting out. And if things were to take a turn for the worse… if something were to happen to Jasper… I don't know how I'd make it out alive, Bella. I don't know."

So much uncertainty.

So much pressure.

She continues, "As a girlfriend, it's my _duty_ to stand by his side no matter what. Knowing what he does, I don't see myself turning a blind eye to it all. My moral ground alone won't let me, not to mention how barbaric all this just is."

Suddenly, everything seems to be turning into shades of gray. This morning, I was actually happy, carefree. Now, real life has set in. And it's not a happy place to be.

All of what Alice just said… it's not like its any news to me. In the back of my head, I always knew. But to actually hear it, for her to lay it all out there as plain as day…

And my morals, my ethics, every truth of what I've ever believed in go against everything that Edward is. Everything that makes Edward… EC. It infuriates me to even think about his hands holding a gun and shooting someone. Murder. He's a man capable of – and has committed – cold blooded murder. In today's world, no one is innocent. After all, like Balzac said – "Behind every great fortune there is a crime."

Maybe…maybe I can look past all the robbery, laundering, and trading. But murder…how can I look past that? Taking away human lives, playing God, he has absolutely no right. No one does.

"Bella?" Alice clicks her fingers in front of my face. I snap out of my musings. "Say something."

"You're right, you know. Everything that you're going through with Jasper, I'm going through with Edward –"

"Only yours is multiplied ten times mine," she interrupts me.

I roll my eyes. "Gee, thanks." She shrugs. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I completely understand where you're coming from. I'm scared like hell too, Al. When I agreed to go undercover for the FBI, I hated the very thought of the mafia; it meant all the worst things in my head. I was so bloody sure of myself, and _so_ bloody sure that I'd hate Edward for what his line of work did to my friend and all those young people out there. I liked Jacob, thought I could trust him. Then you came into the equation. I had all the ammo on the Skipper. I was prepared to take them all down with you and Jacob by my side. And then…" I laugh humorlessly, shaking my head.

"The Cullen men happened," she completed for me.

"And then the Cullen men happened."

"Sucks, right?" she sighs, laying her head in my lap and looking up at the ceiling.

"Yup. It sucks alright."

We stay quiet for a while, mulling over our thoughts. I suddenly get an awesome, and random, idea.

"Hey, Alice?"

"Hey, Bella?" she copies me.

"You wanna go out somewhere?"

"Sure." She jumps up. "What did you have in mind?"

I grin. "_Il Cigno_."

_**~TETB~**_

"Miss Swan?"

The man guarding the door at _Il Cigno _greets us with a pleasant smile. Everyone, and I mean every _single _one of the staff members, is staring at us. And they're not even trying to be subtle about it.

"Yes…?" I say shakily. How does this bulldozer of a man even know my name? I peek at Alice, and she looks just as confused as I feel.

"Mr. Cullen is right this way, Ma'am." He extends his hand and waits for Alice and me to walk first.

_Okay…?_ I had decided to come here with Alice as I wanted to have a proper meal which we couldn't enjoy the other night. We hadn't told anyone that we were going to be here, and I certainly did not expect Edward to be here as well. Didn't he have work to do? What was he doing sitting in a restaurant on a busy weekday afternoon?

"I'm sorry, but I'm not here to meet Mr. Cullen," I say.

His face is blank as he replies, "I have orders, Ma'am. I'm supposed to escort you to him safely."

I bristled at that. Why do all men feel like they _own_ women? Such chauvinistic pigs the bunch of 'em. "Look, Mister, I don't care what he said. I won't be 'escorted' anywhere." Oh yeah, I totally made air quotes in his face. "I'm here to have lunch with my friend, and we have no interest in joining your precious Mr. Cullen."

I huff, crossing my arms across my chest, and looking away from Cullen's guard. I see him nod in my peripheral, and he walks away from us. I let out a breath that I'd been holding, terrified of what he might've done next. But he just walked away. Cool with me.

Alice and I once again sit at the bar, and this time, we both order Cosmos. While we're discussing the latest season of Grey's Anatomy, I see this large barrage of about seven huge men crossing us and walking towards the back of the restaurant.

I share a look with Alice.

We both quickly set our drinks down and quietly follow those men, trying to act like we're just going to the washroom. I just hope that we can be stealth enough this time.

The men hurriedly cross the distance to wherever they're heading with their long strides, which leaves Alice and I almost sprinting behind them. They reach the kitchen and walk through its doors like it's no big deal. Fuck. We sure can't barge in there without going unnoticed.

Before I can stop her though, Alice pulls me through the doors just before they close. I shoot her a panicked look, and she whispers, "Don't worry, just stay behind me."

She snatches two aprons from behind a counter and hands one to me. With the aprons on, we merge into the chaos of the kitchen. We speed up now, going in the direction they'd disappeared to. I place my hand on Alice, silently conveying that we shouldn't get too close.

Concentrating only on the sound of their feet, we make our way through at least six little corridors. All of them cluttered with pots and pans, some with groceries, and one where two cooks are making out. God, I wish that's all they intended to do, 'cos they're cooks… in a fucking high society restaurant. Unsanitary, and following lawsuits is all I'm saying.

Moving on.

We're still zip-zapping through a long ass corridor. I'm huffing and puffing. _Need_ _to hit the gym one o–_

Suddenly, all sound halts. I stop breathing.

Alice and I press against the wall, behind a rack of utensils.

A door opens.

Some words are muttered. I can't make out shit.

Alice pokes me. "What?" I whisper.

"That's Edward, isn't it?"

Her words send a chill through my body. Goosebumps all over. I break out in cold sweat, straining to hear better now.

"…onto us…you _think_?!" Angry voices. "Nah, motherfucker…evidence…planning for Chicago for a _year _on end…" The voices are now getting much clearer. And that's only because they're getting so much louder, angrier. "HOW DID THEY KNOW?"

My breath starts coming out in pants. I look into Alice's eyes. We're both scared… so _fucking_ scared now.

'Cos that was definitely Edward. And he's fuming. No good comes out when EC's livid.

The next words I hear… they make my head throb… swim… pound…

Edward roars, "Agent Jacob Black is behind this?!"

* * *

**My beta (Heather) loves the cliff hangers! Blame her! *cowers***

**The good news, though, is that the next two chapters are all ready and I'll be posting them in a week. Who loves me? *kisses***

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**Trust me, and hold on till next week.**

**Till the next time *takes a bow***

**Curtains close. LOL. **


	12. Chapter 11: IHOP

**Hello, my lovely readers! Thank you sooo much for all your amazing reviews and all the love you give to this story! When I started out, I really had no idea if people would actually take to my writing a mafia story. BUT, you guys are just so awesome, and I can't thank you enough for loving the story the way you do! It makes my day when I see a review in my inbox. So thank you to all you guys out there. Eve if you haven't reviewed, but only alerted and favourited the story, it still makes me happy to know that you like it enough for doing that. **

**IMPORTANT: Okay, so I tried, and failed, in making a banner for my story. Any of you out there who'd like to make one for this fic? (I can't help you in the making process, since I'm a cripple that way. I swear, I tried!) I can't promise that I'll use it as the official banner, but I'll definitely use it somewhere! I just really need a good one for TETB right now. Anyone interested? *looks around***

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**Beta'd by the lovely Heather and Ange. Hugs. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

_Alice pokes me. "What?" I whisper._

"_That's Edward, isn't it?"_

_Her words send a chill through my body. Goosebumps all over. I break out in cold sweat, straining to hear better now._

"…_onto us…you _think_?!" Angry voices. "Nah, motherfucker…evidence…planning for Chicago for a _year_ on end…" The voices are now getting much clearer. And that's only because they're getting so much louder, angrier. "HOW DID THEY KNOW?"_

_My breath starts coming out in pants. I look into Alice's eyes. We're both scared… so _fucking_ scared now._

'_Cos that was definitely Edward. And he's fuming. No good comes out when EC's livid. _

_The next words I hear… they make my head throb… swim… pound…_

_Edward roars, "Agent Jacob Black is behind this?!"_

**Chapter 11**

**IHOP**

I hold Alice's hand in a death grip, squeezing the shit out of it. My throat closes up; I feel suffocated… I can't breathe. My head starts to spin, and my vision becomes blurry. I let go of Alice and hold my stomach with one hand, bending over, and keep the other hand on the wall for support.

_No…no…no I can't faint. Not here. Not now._

Little by little, I'm pulled out of my haze as Alice rubs my back, shushing me, bringing me back. My breath comes out in pants, but I squeeze my eyes shut and try to focus on…something. I need to focus on something, find something that'll actually hold my attention.

And then I hear his voice. That velvet voice which makes my heart go off like crazy.

"…their asses are mine…the motherfuckers. I need answers, and I need them _now_," he hisses. _Focus, focus._

Someone replies, "Sam says that Black's known for quite some time now and that he has something up his sleeve."

"Well, then, fucking find out what that 'something' is! That cocksucker is not going to fuck up anything else for me now!" Edward roars. I cringe back, covering my ears.

My head hurts too much, and my ears won't stop ringing. I feel like puking. Or crying my eyes out. I'm confused. And so, so…terrified.

"Bella," Alice whispers. I don't respond; I can't find my voice. "B!"

I shake my head to show her I'm listening. She continues, "We need to get out of here right now." She talks slowly in my ear. "Pull yourself together, Swan."

She gives me a moment to collect myself. I take deep breaths and close my eyes. Shaking out of the haze one final time, I nod. "Let's go."

The men are far away from us so they won't hear us if we can be quiet. They're all too busy shouting at each other, anyway. Alice walks out first, and I follow close behind her. I'm so hyper aware of every little sound and creak that it scares me to death when I hear loud voices again. But then I realize that we've just gotten close to the kitchen, and it's all the chefs shouting orders.

Alice and I quietly make our way out of the kitchen, and finally, out of the restaurant.

"You okay?" Alice asks, as I speed my way through the streets of Chicago.

"No."

It's the truth, and I need to get in as much truth as I can right now. 'Cos my bucket of lies is already full.

She nods but doesn't ask me to elaborate. I peek at her through the corner of my eye; she looks extremely pale, and just like me, oh so terrified. "Are _you_ okay, Al?"

She gives me a little shrug. "Let's get home first, and then we'll talk."

_Talk._

_~TETB~_

"Who do you reckon Sam is?" I ask.

"I've never heard Jake mention his name before. But whoever he is, he has inside information on the FBI, or at the very least, on Jacob Black." She gobbles up another slice of pizza and takes a long sip of Coke.

I hum in agreement. "Sooner or later, and I'm guessing it'll be sooner rather than later, Edward will get to know about us working undercover. I mean, he sure as fuck has the resources and means." Alice gulps loudly, nodding her head in agreement. "Do you think it's time, Alice?"

After reaching home and taking long showers, Alice and I sat cross-legged in my room and ordered two large pizzas. We both aired all that we'd heard back at the restaurant, dissecting and analyzing every word they'd spoken.

What we'd gathered till now was this – Edward definitely has a big-ass plan for Chicago that he's been concocting for about a year now, and he sure as fuck didn't want the Feds to have the slightest idea about it; someone had obviously ratted them out to the Feds though; and our most startling realization – they all seemed to know Jacob. Not just like he was a Federal Agent out to get their ass, more like someone they've known for a while now. Maybe someone they've had several personal encounters with in the past? That would also explain why Jake would have an ulterior motive, an almost personal grudge, against Edward.

But all these points are just loose ends. We still didn't have that common thread, that something concrete, tying them all together. For now, nothing really makes sense. For now, we really don't have much to go on.

"Yeah, Bells, I think it's time," she replies confidently, squeezing my hand.

_Well, fuck. _

By the time we're done with the pizza, it's already late in the evening. Jake visits, wanting to know all about our day. We let him know everything we did, obviously leaving out the part where we eavesdropped into – what we like to believe –a very important conversation. Instead, Alice threw in some bullshit about her sudden craving for grease instead of two-spoons-a-plate of fancy food. And he believed her. We tell him that we don't have any information for him now but also assure him that we are on the right path, things are looking good.

Again, a load of bullshit.

Later that night, around eleven, my phone chimes with an incoming text.

**Do I get breakfast tomorrow too? –E**

To say that I'm thoroughly knocked off my bed would be an understatement. As soon as I see the text, I gasp and my phone tumbles out from my hands. I reach out to catch it but instead get tangled in the covers and fall butt first onto the hardwood floor. Brushing off all the hair from my face, I quickly re-read the text.

_Oh my God, Edward Cullen is texting me!_

**How did you get my number? –A very surprised B**

**He replies within seconds. I have my ways ;) –A very cocky** **E**

I can almost feel his laughter through his text.

Just when I start typing out a reply, I get another text. **You didn't answer my first question. Breakfast tomorrow morning as well, baby? –A desperate E**

And no wonder Edward Cullen can charm his way into anything. Even his _texts_ exude so much power, so much charisma.

**Only if you're the one doing the cooking. LOL. –A smug B**

Let's see how desperate he _really_ is to have me over for breakfast tomorrow morning.

**Ouch. That hit a nerve, sweet cheeks. How about we meet midway? I'll take you out for breakfast instead of subjecting you to my non-existent cooking skills? –A hopeful E**

Suddenly, all of today's tension is just… gone. Knowing that any day now he'll know what a bitch I really am, any day now he might just start hating me, might just kill me… I still feel happier than I've felt all day. I stare at my phone with a goofy smile on my face, loving it when he calls me 'sweet cheeks'.

**Hmm… That depends on whether you can afford an IHOP special breakfast feast for me or not. –A contemplative B**

I'd have tofu and soy milk if Edward sat beside me every morning for breakfast.

**Baby, the IHOP right around Durand Avenue? I'm part owner of that joint. You can eat there every day if you so wish. –A businessman **

Umm… Wow? Yeah, wow covers it. Though, really, should I be surprised?

**What a show-off you are, Mr. Cullen. Tch tch. But if that's the case, then IHOP across Durand Avenue it is. –An excited B**

I sigh happily and flop down on the bed, closing my eyes, just savoring this sweet as syrup moment.

**Yup, that'd be me ;) I'll pick you up tomorrow at, say, 8 a.m.? –An overexcited E**

I laugh as I read the tag 'overexcited'. He's so cute sometimes; adorable piece of shit.

**Can't wait! Now let me sleep so that I can get up on time tomorrow morning. –A sleepy B**

His reply is almost instant. The backlight didn't even go off yet. **Night, Bella. Have sweet dreams, my sweet cheeks. –An elated E**

_Sweet dreams indeed, Edward, sweet dreams indeed. _

_~TETB~_

"I'll have one of the Double Blueberry Pancakes, one Turkey & Bacon Club Sandwich, one Crispy Onion Rings and one Never Empty Coffee Pot," I order, my mouth already watering from the IHOP smells.

"Yes, Miss Swan," the waiter replies, bowing his head. I palm my forehead and try to control my laughter. Ever since we've entered, everyone's been all 'Yes, Miss Swan' and 'What can I do for you, Mr. Cullen?' It's actually quite funny. Ass kissers the bunch of 'em.

Edward grins at me adorably, shaking his head. "What?" I ask. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I just so happen to be a breakfast person."

Even as a kid, when everyone wanted to go out for a fancy dinner, I wanted to go out for breakfast. And yes, I am still normal and cool.

He laughs. "Bella, you're a breakfast person alright. But you're definitely not a morning person. What time do you have your precious breakfast at, eh? Noon?"

"Hello," I drawl. "Breakfast time is directly proportional to the time you get up, and not the ass-crack of dawn when the sun rises." I wave my hand at the waiter and then at the menu. "Do you want to order or what now?"

He chuckles, shaking his head. Again.

Whatever.

He starts to order, "I'll take one Simple & Fit Two-Egg Breakfast and Whole Wheat Waffle with Blueberries. And… one Hot Chocolate." He smiles up at the waiter and hands him the menu.

"Of-of course, Mr. Cullen," the waiter stutters. Edward just nods at him.

I stare at him gob smacked. At Edward, I mean.

_Whole Wheat Waffles? _

He furrows his eyebrows in confusion and asks, "What?"

I plaster a saccharine smile on my face. "Oh, nothing. Why didn't you just order broccoli and lettuce, Mr. Simple & Fit?"

"I like to eat healthy first thing in the morning," he defends himself.

I wave my hand dismissively. Dumb people who don't enjoy breakfast food.

All of a sudden, I remember something and cock my head to the side, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You liar," I say. He points at himself in question. "Yes, you, Cullen. Don't think I've forgotten your everyday breakfast ritual of French fries, bacon, triple cheese omelet and this big-ass mug of some calorie ridden smoothie."

_Healthy my ass._

He doesn't reply though.

For what feels like an eternity, he just stares at me.

And I stare back.

When the smoldering green eyes of Edward Cullen are looking right into yours, you can't help but gaze back into them. Shining, dazzling green as emerald eyes watch me with love… desire… adoration… devotion… _Fuck me._

My knees start to shake under the table. The moment… this moment… it's so fucking _intense_.

It feels as if he can see right through me, right down to my fucking _soul_.

It feels as if I may commit a crime if I even think about tearing my eyes from his.

It feels as if every muscle of my body is ablaze, making me feel _alive_.

"Edward…" I whisper.

"Bella, I –"

"Ma'am?" the waiter interrupts us.

And boom. The moment's gone. I blink once, twice, and then a couple more times.

"Uh…yeah?" I rasp out. Clearing my throat, I take a sip of water and take the time to get my breathing under control. _Okay, breathe in, breathe out, in… and out…_

"That gentleman over there" – he points to someone behind me – "has sent this for you." He places a tray covered with a white cloth on the table.

_Uh…say what? _

I twist in my seat and find this hot as fuck guy staring at me with a lazy smirk on his face. He looks to be somewhere in his mid-twenties, and he's dressed in a gray suit. The hotness alert goes off in my head, and I find myself staring back at him. _Damn, those shoulders… _

_Edward's are infinitely better though. Well…it's Edward Cullen; there's no comparison to this Greek God anyway. _

I blush, turning back to look at the tray. I pull off the piece of cloth, and on the tray, there's a rose, a note, and a plate of pancakes with a whipped cream and strawberry smiley face on the top. A smile lights up my face, and I read the note,

_When I saw you sitting across me first thing this morning, I just knew my day would be amazing.  
And guess what? I just got the biggest contract of my life!  
So I thought I should rather thank the beautiful lady who made my day, and possibly, my career._

_PS - Enjoy your breakfast, gorgeous_."

I laugh as I finish reading it and shake my head.

_Sweet. Men are finding new ways to hit on women every day. _

But I figure he's harmless, so I turn back to him, ready to thank him profusely and say some stuff about how the contract was all on him.

"Motherfucker," Edward says under his breath. And it wouldn't have meant much. But something about that voice… it just makes all the blood drain from my face. My smile falls, and my heart starts pounding in my chest.

I whip my head back to look at him. His hand is clenching the rose so tightly and it's… it's _bleeding_. Blood is oozing out of his fisted palm and dripping on the table. My mouth pops open. I want to reach out to him, but his eyes are unseeing, unwavering, focused only on that man.

He looks murderous. He looks cold. And that right there is when I see EC, the Boss Man, the Skipper.

For a second, my heart just… stops.

"Edward," I whisper.

It's like he hasn't even heard me. Like he doesn't even know that I'm here anymore.

_Oh God… He's going to kill that man. Right now, right here, in front of all these people._

I stand up and kneel down beside his seat. Tears fill my eyes as I look up at him. "Edward, baby, please take a deep breath. Edward..."

I look at the gray suited man, and at least he has the sense to look terrified. I direct him with my eyes to get as far away from here as possible. Leave the fucking continent is what I suggest to the poor guy. He quickly gets up from his seat.

And then Edward shoots up from his. And I jump up from my position beside him.

The man stops moving. He takes a small step back.

Edward takes a step toward him.

_Oh God… oh no… no, no, no! _

Edward's hand goes to his waist. And that's when I decide that I have to step in.

I stand in front of him and hold his face in my hands. Still no reaction.

I look into his eyes, the very eyes that gave me such a smoldering look that had me going weak in the knees. Instead, I see blank eyes. Reigning in my own fear, for Edward, I will for him to look at me just once. He doesn't.

"Edward," I say. "Look at me."

Nothing.

I stroke my thumb across his taut cheekbones. "Edward, it's me, honey. It's your sweet cheeks."

I continue to stroke his cheeks, all the while shaking in my shoes. The look on Edward's face… Jesus, I don't know how I'd live if he ever looked at _me_ like that.

He blinks.

Finally. Fucking _finally_. I got a reaction out of him.

I hurriedly continue, "I-I'm here, baby. I'm yours, and I'm here."

Possessive. Edward Cullen is so crazy possessive that it's borderline insane.

His eyes meet mine, and it's like a film of haze lifts from them. They soften; he puts his hands on both sides of my face and looks at me like I'm the only thing in the world. He looks _human_ again.

"_My_ sweet cheeks," he whispers. "Only mine."

I choke back a sob. "Take me home, Edward."

He nods. "Okay," he sighs.

He takes my hand and pulls me through the doors of IHOP and hurriedly buckles me into his Aston.

All this time, I've just been holding it in. Inside, I feel torn, broken. For the first time, I saw a side of Edward that scared me to death… and what scares me more is the fact that he even _has_ a side like this. He's not cut out for me… he's just not.

Tears are now flowing freely from my eyes. I don't make a sound, no sob, no sniffle. I think a dam just opened behind my eyes, because the tears… the tears just _won't fucking stop. _

"Bella?" Edward says hesitantly. He's driving through Chicago at a speed which is most definitely illegal. Not to mention how rash, reckless and stupid it is. Everything that I'm not.

I glance at him. He looks so guilty and… and ashamed of himself.

"Hmm?" I bite my lip to keep back the sob threatening to break free any moment now.

His face crumbles when he sees my tears. "Baby, I'm so fucking sor –"

I hold up my hand to stop him. "Don't. Just… don't."

* * *

**Who do you think is wrong here? Edward to react the way he did, or Bella to treat him the way she is? Waiting to hear your thoughts on this one. Give it to me, guys *rubs hands in anticipation***

**Next update: Next week. And trust me, you gonna LOVE it ;) **

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**Till the next time *waves***

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	13. Chapter 12: Moving On

**Heyy, guys! I'm so glad I've been able able to give you awesome readers regular updates. This is a little something to make your Monday a little brighter *wink*. I hope you like this! I can't thank you enough for all you love and support toward the story. Really. TETB readers rock! **

**Oh and btw, let us send up a little prayer today on Veterans Day, guys. All those men who gave their lives so we could sleep comfortably every night deserve this.**

**Maybe I won't be able to upload the next one within the week 'cos I'm having a bit of a crisis with that one. But it'll be here next Wednesday hopefully!**

**Follow me on twitter for regular updates and such - bellstarfics**

**Heather and Ange make my chapters all better and polished and readable. Amazing chicks these two are.**

**Disclaimer: No ownership of Twilight here.**

**Enjoyy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Moving On**

"What are we doing here?" I shift in my seat, turning to glare at him.

"You said home, and my car drove itself home. _Home_ for me, is this. You weren't specific." He shrugs, getting out of the car. I help myself out of the car before he can do it for me.

'Cos I'm so goddamn pissed at him. And so, so mad. I hate crying, and he made me cry. Now he's going to pay for it.

I storm into his over-expensive, opulent building, ignoring his shouts of pleas as he runs behind me.

"What floor?" I tap my foot impatiently, waiting for the elevator_. God, fucking elevators take so much time. Ugh!_

"I-I live in the penthouse." I give him a weird, are-you-trying-to-show-off look. He sighs. "What I mean is, that" – he gestures to another elevator beside the one we're standing in front of – "elevator takes you directly to the penthouses."

I snort. "Mr. VIP." I step into the 'penthouse only' elevator. "Well? Where are the fucking buttons?"

I look up at him, irritated. He looks so adorable with that deer caught in the headlights look. Just an hour ago, I was so scared of this man. And now look at him, looking all apologetic and cute.

_Hold on to that anger, Isabella Swan!_ I shout at myself; in my head of course.

"Umm… it needs my thumbprint to take us to my floor." He presses his thumb to this gadget… scanner… thing, and the elevator immediately starts moving. He continues, "It's for security."

I nod in reply. I should've really paid more attention that day while going back from Edward's after he'd brought me over unconscious, but I had been too busy staring at him. And then yesterday when Jasper had buzzed me in, he had done all the work; in my defense, I had been distracted with all the talking he'd been doing.

Almost a minute later, the elevator stops and we get out. He takes out a simple key from his pocket, twisting it in the lock, opening the door to his apartment.

"What? No high-tech gear here?" I ask.

"No, not really. There's only two copies to this key, and the lock will only open with either of the three keys. See, it has this detection software –"

"Yeah, whatever." I wave my hand dismissively. "Sometimes, you seem so much like Christian Grey to me."

He scrunches up his nose. "Who's Christian Grey?"

_Fuck. Uh…_ "Never mind," I reply quickly, a slight blush taking over my face.

"What? No, tell me who's –"

"Aren't you going to invite me in? Or do you plan on standing outside forever?"

He hurriedly ushers me in, and I walk into his room without another word or glance his way. He follows quietly behind me. I go make myself comfortable on his bed and stare at him expectantly.

"Bella, look, I know there's no excuse for the way I reacted," he starts.

I give him a stiff nod. "No, there isn't."

"But I'm not sorry."

I freeze. _Not. Sorry? He believes what he did was _fine_? _"What?" I hiss.

"That man was looking at you like you were something to eat." My mouth pops open. _He was not! _But he continues before I can get a word in, "And you were there with _me_." Edward is… he's seething now. "That fucker wasn't bloody blind. He _knew_ you were with me. Motherfucker had absolutely NO right to send you that note and that fucking rose and those fucking pancakes!" he yells.

I shoot up from the bed, now in his face. I shout right back at him, "So you decided to kill him? Right there in front of all those people? Are you _deranged_, Edward?"

He takes a deep breath. "I wasn't going to kill him," he says slowly.

I'm so…so _fucking_ mad at him. I screech, "Like hell you weren't! You know you would've killed him, so don't deny it." I'm breathing heavily, almost panting, so I take a few moments to calm myself before continuing, "I saw that crazed look in your eyes alright. You were so…so out of it."

He doesn't even answer me back. Just stands there with his hands balled up in a fist and his jaw clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

I continue, "You don't own me, Edward. Honestly, you don't have any sort of claim over me okay?"

He closes his eyes at my words and lets out a deep breath. "Yes, I know I don't."

"Good." I nod, wiping away the traitor tears. "Then you should also know that what you did was blow everything way out of proportion and turn a nothing into a big something."

He tightly grabs hold of my biceps, holding me in place and looking me right in the eyes. "So what was I supposed to do, huh? Sit there and let that bastard drool all over you? _Sei tutto per me, Bella."_

His eyes look at me beseechingly, and I feel like… like I'm wrong here. He always does this. He always turns on the charm, that I'm-just-your-protector look and_ I_ feel like shit.

But not this time.

The tears have started all over again. _How dare he try to seduce me with his Italian_?

"Don't you get it, Edward? _I_ was scared out of my fucking mind!" I yell, flailing my arms like a retard. "_I _was scared you were going to hurt me. Physically _hurt_ me." I start sobbing, a blubbering, snotty and disgusting mess.

For a few minutes, he lets me cry my heart out. Then, when I'm more like sniffling than howling, he takes my hands in his and holds them to his lips. I look away from him. That… that fucking look he's giving me… I want to hold onto my anger a little longer. So I look away.

He bends low and whispers in my ear, "The only way I can hurt you is by hugging you too tight, sweet cheeks."

And there goes my anger. Once again, I'm reminded of one of the many reasons I'd fallen for him at the young age of fourteen – Edward Cullen has a way with words like no other motherfucker on the planet.

"Fuck you, Edward Cullen," I whisper. My hands creep up the side of his neck and rest on that delectable jaw. And now… now I'm looking at him. And he's looking right back at me. And it's fucking perfect.

"Anytime, Isabella Swan."

Slowly, he leans down, bringing his mouth closer, and I close my eyes, feeling my entire being just… set on fire, go ablaze… and then, then ever so gently, I feel his lips on mine. First, just slight pressure… no moving, but I still want it, him. I want _him_.

So, I add the pressure, feeling my lips tingle something fierce, and I think we both feel this-this feeling of wholesomeness. We start to breathe heavier as our mouths begin moving against each other, carefully, slowly…

It isn't enough.

My hand goes higher still, and I tangle my fingers in his soft hair. He shivers, and so do I, parting my lips… desperate to feel him. And he understands, parting his lips too, and _God_, there's no describing… this _feeling_, that I feel when our tongues meet. First just the tips, softly and slowly, then more.

We've done this so many times in the past. But now, in this moment… seven years later… it feels like a first kiss. An amazing, out-of-the-world, first kiss.

And it's intense. So goddamn _intense_, and it makes me shiver… over and _over_. Even more as he finally grows bold and begins kissing me properly, leaving his apprehension behind, understanding that I actually want this. And Jesus, when his hand, arm goes around my waist, holding me tighter in place… I think I'm going to just combust.

He tastes delicious, and it's all _him_. My morning Edward who tastes like mint and coffee.

His hands gently caress my back, causing me to tremble in his arms, and make their way into my hair. He tangles his fingers through my locks and deepens the kiss further. _Jesus…_

"Edward," I whimper into his mouth. He groans loudly. My hands pull his hair and I press myself against his hard, warm body. _More, more, more…_

And then he breaks the kiss. "Fuck." He shudders. "If I don't stop now… Christ, baby."

He's panting. We both are. I hold him by the ears and lower his mouth to mine. I breathe against his lips, "Who asked you to stop, baby?"

"Goddammit, Bella," he growls.

The kiss becomes frenzied quickly, our tongues moving together urgently. His hands travel down, cupping my ass… roughly, kneading. I whimper. It triggers him, I think, and he picks me up, laying me down on the bed. He positions me on my back, and he's on top of me… hands wandering… never breaking the kiss, and… fuck, I want more.

He starts kissing my neck, and my fingers dig into his back. _Too many… uh… too many clothes in the way._

"_Jesus_, Edward," I groan.

The things his lips to do to me – oh God there are no words. Everywhere his tongue darts out to lick my neck, he leaves a trail of fire behind him. My body… it feels alive just where his lips touch my skin.

"You're beautiful, Bella," he whispers against my collarbone, softly kissing it. I groan, hitching my left thigh over his back, pulling him closer to me. "Fuck," he spits out. "Tell me what you want, _donna_."

Again with the _donna_. All this Italian talking was seriously going to kill me one day.

"I…I want you, Edward," I gasp as he sucks on my neck, no doubt leaving a mark. Not that I mind. In fact, it turns me on even more. And my panties… damn, they're soaked.

"You have me, sweet cheeks." He quickly tosses his shirt over his head, and I can only… _fuck_… I can't stop staring at him. He has abs… like the whole six-pack thing going on… and holy hell he's _ripped_, and taut, and tanned this gorgeous honey color.

And I'm a fucking shameless hussy as I hurriedly get out of my shirt. I push him off of me and stand beside the bed.

"Bella?" He furrows his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"I need to take off the bra goddammit!" I fumble with the clasp as Edward laughs. "Stop laughing and help me, will you?"

_Oh thank goodness, it's off. Fucking finally. _

I look at Edward, and his eyes are hooded, his mouth hanging open slightly. He's… he's… fuck, he's sin. He's _my_ sin. I go to stand between his legs, his eyes now level with my chest. I wind my fingers into his hair, and he moans. I push him onto the bed, on his back, and climb on top of him.

My fingers ghost over his fuckhot chest. "These weren't here seven years back." My voice is husky with lust as I press my hands against those _chiseled_ abs and that taut torso.

Jesus. Is it suddenly burning up in here or what?

He takes my breasts in his hands, squeezing them. "_These_ weren't here seven years back, baby." And his voice is just as filled with lust as mine.

His hands on my breasts… God, they do crazy things to my mind. I moan loudly as he twirls my nipple with his thumb and continues to squeeze my tits. My back arches and my eyes close. Another loud moan escapes me as he kisses the swell of my right tit… no, left… fuck, I can't remember which side is which. Edward Cullen is a fucking sorcerer.

"Gah…" I'm gasping. I want his mouth on my tits. _Now._

Considering I'm above him, I rest my hands on the bed and pull myself up. My breasts are now dangling right in front of his face. Yeah, that's more like it.

"Jesus, Bella, are you trying to kill me?" he groans, and takes one nipple into his mouth, sucking it, pulling it lightly with his teeth, his tongue swirling around it, devouring me...

Oh my fucking _God_! I can't stop moaning like a hussy. And the sensations that shoot through me… yeah, my pussy is aching something damn fierce now. I practically shove more of myself in his face. _Edward Cullen has turned me into a shameless, needy mess. _

His hands go to my ass, kneading, squeezing, and travelling all over. "Goddamn perfection," he growls against my nipple, sending shivers of pleasure through me.

He grinds his cock against my core, and I rock above him, pressing down on his erection. _Fuck my life._

"Uh… Edward… God, you're… baby, I-I…" I don't even know what I'm trying to say. Just… oh God… I love what he's doing to me. Is it possible to come from just this? 'Cos right now, it feels like I might just.

He lets go of my nipple with a pop, only to shower the same attention on the other one. And the process repeats. By the time he's done, I'm a panting, sweaty mess, and I just want to get _out_ of these fucking shorts I'm wearing. Oh and I want Edward out of those jeans pronto as well.

"Bella, baby, I-I need to be in… are you ready, Bella?" He looks at me with concern… and doubt. _Now?_ _Now_ he decides to be a gentleman? Can't he fucking feel it, smell my arousal? 'Cos I sure as hell can.

"Edward," I pant, "I was born ready for this."

"Fucking hell, Bella, you'll be the death of me." He shudders, and wastes no time in taking off my shorts. His jeans follow. He's wearing black boxers… and under those black boxers is his huge, very erect cock.

"You're gorgeous. Perfection," he whispers, sounding almost in awe of me. It's the other way around though; I'm in awe of _him_. His perfect body, his perfect face… that mouth… those lips…

Our eyes meet, and it's like… like we're moving in slow motion. He looks at me with such adoration and affection, such _desire_… It knocks the breath out of me.

His hands travel down to my hips, and he caresses it – literally _caresses – _whatever his hands touch. I feel worshipped in a way I never have before. _Edward Cullen... always… forever._

My eyes close, wanting to savor… remember each touch, each breath.

And then… he stops.

_He-he stopped?_

My eyes fly open. Edward is staring at me, looking torn and… and apologetic? What the fuck?

That's when I hear the ringing of a phone.

I give him a you-can't-be-fucking-serious look. _That's_ what he stopped for?

"Can't it wait?" I ask. Seriously? No, I mean, _seriously_? It can't wait?

He sighs, giving me a light push. I get off of him in… shock? Yeah, suffice to say, I'm quite surprised. He gets up from the bed and starts tugging at his hair wildly.

"God, baby, I wish it could. But, thi-this is really important." He looks like a little puppy, all wild hair and wide, apologetic eyes. And I believe him. If he says it's really important, it must be. "I'm so, so sorry."

I give him a small smile. "It's alright. Just get back here soon."

He lets out a deep breath, nodding his head, and gives me a long kiss on my forehead. "Be right back," he whispers.

"Okay." I sigh. He picks up his jeans from the floor and takes out the phone in one swift motion. I make myself comfortable against the headboard, getting under the covers. I don't bother putting on clothes, 'cos… you know, I hope to continue later.

I sit back and watch as Edward goes out into the balcony to talk, a smoke dangling from his lips. So bloody hot, he could burn up Antarctica. Not kidding.

Edward Cullen has made me fall for him all over again. Damn, mafia man got under my skin, and now he's not going anywhere. I'm ready to accept him – flaws and everything. Because for me, he's perfect, he's it, he's _my_ mafia man from now on.

That's when I notice something weird. The phone he's talking into, it's not the usual Blackberry I've seen him use. It's a white phone and looks suspiciously like those overly expensive phones. That one… Dammit, why can't I recall the name!

_Like…like… _

_Yes! Like Vertu. _

_That's right. Vertu phones are supposed to be, like, untraceable or something, and they cost an arm and a leg. That's what I've heard. _

But it may not be Vertu… Although, a man like Edward… I won't be surprised if he does use an untraceable, high-tech phone like this one.

Anyway, he looks sorta angry to me right now though. Keeps making gestures with his hands while he's talking, and he keeps shouting some curse every now and then.

_How is it possible to talk with a cigarette hanging from your lips? Doesn't it fall out? _

Meh, how would I know, being the non-smoker I am? Emmet's little angel.

Fuck. I should probably call them. I haven't spoken to either of them since Rose gave me the news three nights ago. I'd just left a message with Emmett saying that I was loaded with work and not to make any concrete plans until they've spoken to me. And I've…well I haven't really given them a chance to speak to me. And yes, I know that I'm being a coward. But really, can you blame me? What would I even say if I did call them back?

Looks like Edward's done with his talks for now as he strolls into the room with a small smile on his face. Although… something's off. I can feel it.

He flops down beside me and makes quick work of wrapping his arms around me tightly and burying his nose in my hair.

I lightly run my hands over his naked back. "What's wrong?" I ask, kissing his chest.

He sighs, pulling me tighter against him. _Too tight. _"What do you know about Jacob Black, baby?"

* * *

**Now chant with me - We trust starpower31 (you can also just say Bella which is my real name)! We trust Bella!**

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**Till the next time *waves* **


	14. Chapter 13: Unbelievable

**Hello, lovely peop****le! Thank you so much for reading, alerting, favoriting, and reviewing for this little story of mine. I'm so glad you all like it so much! It just makes my day to see my inbox light up from an email by FFnet. Thanks all once again!**

**I'm sort of going through a tough time here. I had been writing a drabble fic, which was almost complete, and one day I wake up to see that my computer's crashed. So yea, not fun times.**

**Also, ysar was making my banner and I was hoping to give it to you guys with this chapter. But, she got seriously ill and couldn't work on it. So, I hope you have it in the next one! I can't wait to see how it turns out either. *vibrates with excitement***

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**Enjoyy :)**

**PS - Translations in the end.**

**I knew I was forgetting something! Happy Thanksgiving to y'all! Have fun and eat till you burst alright? 'Cause I know that I sure will! (Yeah, I came back and wrote this. Lol.)**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Unbelievable **

**EPOV**

That moment when you feel like your world has come crashing down, when that one person you trusted with your life is the one who's out to snatch it away from you… that's the moment when you actually realize what it feels like to go numb all over. What it feels to look into the innocent eyes of that very person and still not hate them when you should've put a bullet through their head already.

I feel numb… detached. When I'd heard the ringing of the phone just when things were going to get _real _fucking good, I really thought about letting it go to voicemail. And then I realized that it wasn't my Blackberry; it was the ringing of my Vertu. The number which only my crew and family have and is only to be dialed when it's an emergency. I'm always supposed to pick it up. I _had_ to take the call.

Santino was calling me about information on that asshole _Agent_ Black. He was one shady fucker, and I'd be damned if he was going to bring down my plan for Chicago. No one except my immediate crew and family knew about it. But somehow… Black knew. I was sure that none of my men would open their mouths to the pigs, but someone had talked. That someone had told someone else who had blabbered to a third party and so down the chain. And that had cost us all.

I had been so determined to know what Black had up his sleeve to take down my plan. And now… now I wish I didn't know. The way I feel right now, it's killing me from within. My heart literally feels like it weighs a ton; something I never thought had any meaning before is suddenly all that does have any meaning. My heart is weighing down on me… crushing me.

And with Bella pressed up against me, my nose buried in her hair, I feel almost dead.

She still hasn't responded. I pull her tighter against me, and she squirms. "You're hurting me, Edward," she whispers.

_God… the sound of my angel._ But she's not. She's not my angel; she's a liar. And angels don't lie.

"Just like you hurt me, Bella. Just like you hurt me," I reply, kissing the top of her head.

This is me when I'm unfeeling, emotionless, a rock. Me when I'm completely detached from any sentiment whatsoever. What do they call it? Yes, the calm before the storm. Inside me, a quiet storm is raging, and when it comes to the surface… bad things happen.

"Ed-Edward, let me explain," she begs. I can hear the desperate tone of her voice, and I want to believe her, listen to her. But she's given me absolutely no reason to. Bella has used and manipulated me, betrayed me, my love and my trust, in the worst way possible.

And I still don't hate her.

She's still my Bella. How can you hate something like her? So beautiful… so innocent.

"Explain," I say. My voice is clipped. I know how I sound – cold and indifferent. My body and heart, my body and my _humaneness_, are totally detached from each other.

She struggles to get out of my hold, but I keep an iron grip on her. If I let her go now… I don't know what these hands of mine might end up doing. "I think it's best for both of us if you stay right here, Isabella," I say.

She gulps and nods, and then blows out a long breath. "Yes, I do know Jake-Jacob Black."

_Jake. She called him Jake._

I close my eyes, and what was left of my saneness leaves me. "I thought as much. How do you know him?"

"About ten days back, the day I was supposed to leave for London School of Economics, Agent Black approached me at the airport. I swear when he said your name… said you were _the_ mo –" she stops mid sentence, choking on the word, and I chuckle. _She can't even fucking _say_ it._

"_The_ mob boss, _the_ mafia man,_ the_ Skipper, you mean?" I complete for her, chuckling darkly.

"I didn't believe him at first," she continues in a quiet voice. "But then, one of my best friends, Eric, died of a drug overdose. One of your guys… Felix… supplied those drugs to him. And this irrational urge for revenge rose inside me; I started to blame you like you _forced_ those drugs down his throat or something. I don't know what triggered it really, but I just had to stop you. And Jacob was providing me the perfect opportunity for bringing your empire, and this big plan you had for Chicago, down."

And then she proceeds to tell me the whole story, mentioning every detail about her conversation with Black and then her friend Angela and how all of them were going through a tough time.

There is a hitch in her story though – Felix doesn't deal with drugs. There is absolutely no way he could've supplied them to anyone, let alone a young boy. _Damn, this girl can lie better than I thought possible._ I scoff, "Right. You know…" I shake my head. "I expected you to be truthful with me _now_. But you…you're_ still_ lying to me, Bella."

She gasps. "Lying? About what?" Disbelief rings through her voice.

"About your friend dying from drugs supplied by Felix. My _driver,_ Felix, who doesn't even deal with drugs."

I look down at her, and she just keeps shaking her head like she's in bloody shock or something. "No…no…no. It's not possible. I'm _sure_ Eric died from drugs supplied by Felix working for Volterra. Ange…she _herself_ told me. What the fuck is this shit?"

All this time, I felt like a part of me had died. And now, all I suddenly feel is pure rage. On hearing her call that pig _Jake_, on hearing her lie once again, something inside me just snaps. She's still in my arms, and my hold on her involuntarily tightens as that last shred of light leaves me.

I bang my fist on the headboard and let out a feral growl. My mind is racing ahead of me, and my emotions are running rampant. Bella jumps and screams, squirming in my hold.

I'm panting heavily, and I bend low to whisper in her ear, "Yeah, _you_ tell me what the FUCK is this shit, Isabella. If you lie to me _one_ more time… I swear to _God, _I will –"

I stop breathing as a thought suddenly strikes me.

_No. No fucking way._

My breathing slowly returns to normal, and I crack a small, amused smirk. "Damn, Black is good."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asks, still oblivious. Well, I do believe her now. She really didn't know better than her friend dying of an accidental overdose.

"Agent Black… _he_ was the one who forced those drugs down your friend's throat, Bella. Don't you see? The timing is just too fucking perfect, and when you refused to work for him, he decided to play into Eric fighting his addiction. He'd probably already predicted your reaction and must have done something to make Eric take more than the needed shots. It's actually quite simple to arrange an overdose of whatever drug. Damn, Bella, you're easy."

Jacob Black wasn't always an Agent. Before that… we knew each other quite well, let's just say. Of course, now things are different. Even now though, it doesn't surprise me one bit he'd do something like that just to have Bella work for him. Exactly what I expected the _cazzo_ to do actually.

"I-I…" She's at a loss of words. _Trust me, baby, I know how that feels_. "The-then what about the fact that Ben was the one who told Angela about Felix?"

"Give me some time to chalk out the details, baby. But honestly, my bet would be that this Ben needed money, and Jacob Black was a fast supplier."

Her eyes open wide, and I see the expressions on her face change as things finally click into place in her head. She turns to look up at me, and I can see the guilt in her eyes. And right now, this guilt, this remorse she feels, it doesn't do anything to move me. The anger boiling inside me, it won't _let_ me feel anything but resentment.

"I'm so, so sorry, Edward," she whispers. "You can't even begin to imagine how sorry –"

"Save it. All I want to know is this – what have you told Black? And don't you dare leave out a single fucking detail of what you've gone and told that motherfucker."

What's most important right now is that I know exactly how much Black knows. If he knows too much, things are going to get messy. And the last thing I need right now is for my mind to be a bigger cluster-fuck than it already is.

"Nothing," she says quickly. "I swear, Alice and I didn't tell him a thing –"

"Alice?" _Fuck, Shorty too? "_She's a part of this too? What the fuck?" I yell. Santino didn't tell me anything about Alice being Black's accomplice as well.

Her eyes widen. "Sh-she…I-I…we… Edward, please just calm down." She places a hand on my bicep, and that's when I realize that I'm shaking.

_Fucking hell! Goddammit, these two women!_

The betrayal cuts a wound so deep inside me, and with every passing minute, the knife of their lies churns inside my stomach.

"Why, Bella?" I whisper. "Just… _why_?" All the fight just drains out of me.

Tears flow continuously down her flushed cheeks. She claws at my hand, sobbing quietly. "I don't know, I don't _know_, why. But I swear on my life, baby, I never really betrayed you. What little I…we did hear or see, Jacob doesn't know a thing. I promise, I _promise_, Edward." She's sobbing uncontrollably now, and her tears are all falling on my arm.

My heart rips and breaks at every drop of her tear that hits my skin. My mind keeps conjuring up the images of our last fight, the last fight in Forks when I'd left her crying in our meadow. After that, I'd promised myself that I'd always be by her side no matter what. And right now, I want so,_ so_ much to let her feel the pain I am feeling.

But I can't.

She's _Bella_.

"What do you want me to say?" I ask exasperatedly. I'm just done. With all this bullshit, all this crap she's brought into my life in less than a week she's been in it once again. I'd rather go out and gank a few motherfuckers than sit here and watch my heart, my Bella cry her eyes out.

"I don't expect you to forgive me. I really don't. But just… please…" she whispers the last part, hanging her head low. Still in my arms, her body begins to tremble as she cries quietly.

"Please what, Bella?"

"Please don't kill me." She looks up at me, her eyes blank. Here she sits, pleading for her life.

_Never, Bella, never._ But I have a question first which I need her to answer truthfully. And it's only after _that_, that I can put rest to her fear.

"Was it easy?" I whisper, staring off into space.

"Was what easy?"

"Leaving me behind in Forks. Saying all the 'I love yous' back then, and the very next moment, just getting up and disappearing from my life. Was it easy saying yes to Black? Looking me in the eyes seven years later and lying through your teeth, letting me believe you really were back for good, playing with my heart. Doing all of this like I was nothing… like _we_ were nothing?"

She's quiet for a long time. I don't utter a word, and neither does Bella.

She finally says, "Kill me, Edward."

I whip my head toward her in disbelief. "_Che cosa_?" I ask, shocked she'd say that to me moments after having pleaded for her life, shocked that she'd even think I'd do something like that. She looks at me with a confused expression, and I repeat myself, this time in English, "What the hell is that supposed to mean, Bella?"

"I deserve worse than that. What I did to you… pulling a trigger would be going easy on me. And isn't there some kind of rule to off the traitor?"

"There is," I say, and she just stops breathing. I squeeze her waist in reassurance, and this time, she wraps her arms around my waist and buries her face in my chest. "But no one has to know."

_Dio, non posso credere che lo sto facendo._

"Wh-what?" she stutters, and I feel her eyelashes as they flutter against my naked chest.

"No one has to know what Alice and you did," I say slowly. It's imperative that she understands everything that's going to happen from now on. "If there's no body, there's no crime." I repeat the famous words, this time in reference to a slightly different situation. If no one knows what actually went down, no one would expect Skip to off the traitor. Only Santino knows, and he wouldn't dare open his mouth.

"You'd do that for me?"

"No, Bella. I'm doing this for _me_. I don't think I have the power to see you lifeless. So, I suggest that you and Alice leave town as soon as possible." _Once again, she's going away from me. And this time, it's the right thing to do._ "You can go back to your old life, go to London School of Economics, go back to Ro –"

"What the fuck?!" she suddenly yells, interrupting me. She hops out of my grasp and holds my hands in hers. "Please, _please_, don't make me leave."

"You have to leave. There's no other way, alright? And you don't have to worry about security – nothing will happen to you, Alice, or Rosalie. That's my guarantee. Just…just go away."

She stares into my eyes, her pupils dilated as she keeps her gaze locked to mine. I know she's looking to see if I actually mean it, if I actually want her to leave. And considering how I could never lie to her, she sees right though me.

"Do you honestly want me to leave?" The woman is challenging me! Motherfuck, I really know how to choose them, don't I?

I groan loudly, cursing all that's holy. "Don't make it worse. _Per favor, Carina!_ This world, _my_ world, you won't be able to survive in here. All that Black told you, it isn't even half of what actually goes on. Think about it, Bella, think about what Rose must be going through right now, knowing that you're here with a mafia boss? Do you want her to go through this everyday for the rest of her life?"

She scrunches up her nose. "Rose?"

"Yes, your _sister_ Rosalie Swan?"

As if my words triggered some kind of a switch in her head, she goes absolutely stiff and all color drains from her face. "Rosalie doesn't know, Edward. She thinks I'm in LSE."

"What?" I shout in her face. "You lied to Rosalie too? God, did you honestly hate me that much?"

"Of course not!" she shouts right back. I arch an eyebrow, and she looks down sheepishly, murmuring, "Okay, maybe a little. But that was only for a while! I thought I could hold on to the anger, the hatred for longer. But, Edward, you got under my skin once again. You made me fall for you once again."

Right now, these…these feelings of love and relations, this is the last thing I want to discuss. So I go back to the topic. "Why did you lie to Rose?"

She stares at me for a moment, and when she knows I won't comment on the fact that she just almost confessed she still loves me, she nods, accepting it. "Jacob told me that if you found out about me working undercover, you'd kill me and then go after my family. He convinced me that it was best if I kept it a secret from both parties." She scoffs, "Of course, later I got to know his actual reason behind this."

I sit there, waiting for her to continue. When she doesn't say anything and looks up at me in confusion, I arch an eyebrow and say, "What? Do I still have to ask you to elaborate at this point?"

She sighs. "I guess not." I nod, waving my hand to motion for her to continue. "Umm… okay, actually…uh… you see the thing is that, uh, Jacob knew that…uh… I, he, I mean –"

"Bella!" I exclaim. "Just spit it out."

"Emm…Carty's…m…brot…law," she mumbles.

"Huh? What?" I didn't get a word in edgewise. What the hell is she so apprehensive to mention _now_?

She takes a deep breath and begins, "Emmett McCarty's my brother-in-law, and Rosalie, my sister, she's now Rosalie Swan-McCarty. We've all been living together for six years right here in Chicago."

Wait.

What?

WHAT?

"You're Emmett's little sister?!" I howl.

"In-law," she corrects me.

_Yeah, same difference. _

Right when I thought nothing could shock me further, Bella has to go and say something like that. How is a man supposed to survive all this shit thrown at him in one fucking day alone!

I remember the day Emmett specifically told me that he'd only affiliate with us on the condition that his family will be left out of it. I was not to inquire anything about them and that his wife and little sister-in-law were to be given full protection at all times if something bad were to happen. At the time, I really hadn't thought much about it, and because I trusted the man with my life, I agreed to it.

I should've known it would come back to bite me in the ass sometime.

Now I was just talking to myself. "Five years. I've known the man _five_ years, and he's known you all this time? _All this time_ you were right here? Right here. _Mio Dio_, I will KILL Emmett!"

The five years I've known Emmett, he's been with Rosalie – who I know _now_ is Rosalie Swan – and so he's basically known Bella all this time. My head hurts when I think about all the time missed.

I look at Bella and see that the blanket is barely covering her naked body. She's…she's an angel. She's still my angel. And I _still_ don't hate her.

But then the side of me that's been dominant for the past seven years, me as EC, that side just won't let my love for her win. My natural instinct to hate, to _kill_, the betrayer is settled in too deep. It's almost as if I have a split personality – the Edward who loves, adores Bella Swan; and the EC who is violent, ruthless. A fire burns inside me as my mind literally feels as if being pulled two separate ways. My entire being wants to hold her tight and never let go, but my mind fights the battle with the weapon of reason.

_I don't know what to do. _

"Was it easy?" I ask her again, never really having gotten the answer to it earlier.

"At the time," she begins, "it felt like it would be. Not that it would be easy, but that it would be… doable." She hesitates for a moment before continuing, "At first, it was…effortless to hate you, to hate a mafia boss was almost instinctual. But the moment I saw you in that parking lot, everything came back full force. That's when I knew I was screwed, and after the incident in the restaurant, I had no intention whatsoever of snitching to Jacob. Maybe the way we met again wasn't quite ideal, Edward, but the fact that we did meet again, that's precious."

I close my eyes at her words and sigh. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you, Bella."

"I don't know if I can ever forgive _me_, Edward."

Turning my head sideways to look at her, I gaze into her eyes, and I know that there's absolutely no way that I can ever let this woman get away from me again. Everything that she's done, to some level, I understand why she did that. As I look at her face right now, I can see that she truly feels sorry. I can see that underneath all her hatred, she never really stopped loving me either.

And when you love someone the way I love my Bella, it's not quite as tough to move on, to forgive. Maybe not forget, but get over it. After all, I'm far from the most perfect human being in the world, and I make more mistakes than most people out there. So if I'm not perfect, I can't expect Bella to be either. Setting anyone up that high isn't the right thing, because in the end, we're all human beings who are bound to screw up every now and then.

If Bella is willing to stay on, stay by the Skipper's side, then I have to give her a second chance. Lord knows she's given me thousands all those times I screwed up as a teenager.

We're not perfect.

But Bella and I, we're perfect for _each other_.

I smile at her, and she lets out a small smile in return. Taking her head between my hands, I kiss her forehead, her eyelids, and then lastly, her lips. Just a small kiss.

And then I breathe against her mouth, staring into my love's eyes, "_Senza di te, la mia vita non ha senso._"

Tears, which I hope are those happy ones, spring in her eyes. She nods furiously and hugs me in a swift motion. I rest my chin on top of her head and hold her tightly in my embrace, never wanting to let go.

"I don't know what you just said," she whispers, "but it was beautiful. Same to you."

My own eyes are tearing up a little, and I chuckle. _So cute. _"What I just said, Bella, it means – Without you, my life makes no sense."

We still have a lot of shit to air. Plans to make, details to go through, trust to be rebuilt. But somehow… I believe we'll get there. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even in a week, but we'll get there soon enough.

* * *

**Translations:**

**Cazzo - dick**

**Che cosa - what?**

**Dio, non posso credere che lo sto facendo - God, I can't believe I'm doing this.**

**Anything else you want to know? Feel free to ask.**

**I'm so excited to hear all your reactions to this. Honestly, I just can't wait! Don't forget to leave a review. **

**Fic rec (Yes, I know I don't do this often, but this I had to. And yes this is also by my new pre-reader. Squueee.)**

**Cursive by Phoebe44**

_**Bella has been running from her past for a year, living a nomadic lifestyle. Edward has fought his demons, but still needs to learn how to move on. They meet, they fall, and they try to help each other heal. The toughest obstacles they battle? Themselves. M, AH, subject matter may be sensitive to some readers.**_

**G****o check this out and tell the author that "the girl you share your birthday with has sent us here." Lol. **

**Don't forget to press that little button down there. ****Your review=awesomeness.**

**Till the next time *bows***


	15. Chapter 14: New Beginnings

**Hii, guys! I know it took a little time, but here it is. Thanks once again for all those who love the story the way they do. You make me smile creepily big in the middle of my class. Amazing bunch y'all are! **

**Thanks for the betaing expertise of Heather and Ange!**

**Phoebe44 is the best pre-reader ever. She points out stuff I totally missed and makes things read 1000x more logical. Love ya, girl!**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Enjoyy :)**

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**Chapter 14**

**New Beginnings**

_**Forks, 2004**_

Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I mind-shout at myself while walking through the corridors in the ever horrible Forks High School. _What were you thinking, Bella Swan? Stupid!

_Edward had told me a million times never to answer back to Mr. Green, but this time, he really crossed a line. I mean, I get he's our principal, and I shouldn't be throwing back his words in his face since he has the power to make my school life miserable. But, come on! What is a girl supposed to do when he gives you detention and then threatens to call your overbearing parents to blab about how you were eating during class? Excuse me, but my stomach was grumbling something fierce. And it wasn't like I committed a federal crime taking a few bites out of my sandwich._

_So now because I told him that it was HIS fault I eat in class, since the break's been shifted an hour later, and then proceeded to point out the shit food we get in the cafeteria, he's pissed at me. Again. I have detention for the next two days and a note to be signed from my parents. _

Another hour of lecture just waiting at home, _I think_.

_I enter the canteen with a pout and fill my tray with the disgusting pizza platter. I look around for Edward, not seeing him at our usual table. Nevertheless, I go and make myself comfortable. About five of his stupid friends have praised me for having the biggest balls in here. Yea, whateva'. They're all just a bunch of fake, wannabe, hormonal teenagers, trying to impress Cullen's best friend to get in good with him._

_I feel a tap on my back and turn around to see Ricky. Ugh, the king of all the fake, wannabe, hormonal teenagers, and Edward's biggest rival here at Forks High. _

_As soon as I open my mouth to tell him to buzz off, he pulls my ponytail, and my mouth drops open in shock and pain. My head is tilted halfway back and my mouth is gaping open like a fish._

_And then… then the bastard starts to laugh. Tears prick my eyes as he starts dropping little pieces of eraser into my mouth. I can't close it for the life of me, and I claw at his hand to leave my hair. _

Fucking sick piece of shit, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands!

_Just when I'm lifting my leg to knee him in the balls, he lets go of my hair with a howl of pain. _

_And standing in front of me with his fist raised is Edward Cullen._

"_You fucking bastard! How dare you?" he bellows at Ricky, who's crawling away with his bleeding nose. _Crawl away, you little lizard!

_I quickly stand beside Edward, spitting out the last of the eraser from my mouth. Edward's chest is rising up and down as he stares down at Ricky with hatred clear in his eyes. _

"_Are you all right?" he asks me, his eyes softening as he turns to look at me._

_I nod. "Thanks for that." I wave my hand toward the running form of Ricky as he hurries out of the cafeteria. _

"_Of course, Bells," he says, hugging me tightly. I melt in his embrace, and my tears finally flow out. With Edward, I'm in my safe place, my happy place. "I heard about Mr. Green shouting at you in the corridor," he whispers. "I told you not to be a brat," he says disapprovingly. _

"He_ was being unreasonable! _I_ was just being me," I say defensively. _

_He chuckles, shaking his head. "You were being a thirteen-year-old brat, Bells."_

_I let go of him and roll my eyes playfully. "I was being _me_, Cullen." _

_He wipes my tears with his thumbs and puts an arm around my shoulder, guiding me out of the cafeteria. "So stubborn," he sighs. _

_I chuckle. "You know it," I say, winking in his direction. _

"_Dinner at my place tonight?" he asks, knowing that I'm in no shape to go home and listen to my parents harp on and on about how I'm a disappointment and embarrassment._

"_Ugh, yes please!" We sit inside his car, and he brings out the packet of Doritos and various chocolates that he's stashed in there for days like this one._

_I bite into a cinnamon chocolate and moan. "Edward Cullen, I hereby proclaim my love to you for forever and ever."_

_He laughs loudly and kisses me on the head, making me giggle. "I'm glad, Isabella Swan."_

_I stare at him in mock accusation. "Aren't you going to say it back?"_

_He presses his hand over his heart. "My apologies, ma'am." I nod and wave my hand for him to proceed. "My love for you is eternal, my lady. Forever is too short a time with y –" he pauses "– a best friend like you."_

"_I know right?"_

_**~TETB~**_

After the rollercoaster of a day that it had been, Edward and I dozed off pretty fucking quickly. As soon as he pulled me into his arms and said those sweet as sugar words, I was a goner. We kissed until we were both gasping for breath and then just held on tightly to each other, not wanting to taint the moment with harsh words.

I know that Edward hasn't forgiven me yet, and I know that he doesn't trust me fully, but I also know how wrong I was to do what I did. He has every reason to be mad at me forever. So I promise myself to work on me, work on _us_. When you have something as special as Edward, and I do, you just can't not try to keep it, to cherish it forever. Even the thought of losing him, not ever having him look me in the eyes again… even the very thought makes my chest ache something fierce.

The truth of the matter is that the greatest force in a man is the desire to impress the person he loves the most. And my driving force is Edward. If there's one thing that can make me laugh or cry, moan or groan, love or hate, it's him. It's Edward. So when I get up in the morning – both of us having slept through the evening as well as all night – I take a minute to absorb and process all that happened yesterday.

The first thought that strikes me like thunder is Eric's death due to an "accidental overdose". What kind of a sick, cold animal kills someone like that? _Jacob. A sick, cold animal like Jacob._ I feel nauseous every time I think about Jacob; all those times I went to him for comfort, when I let him guide me blindly into anything and everything, when I trusted him like I would an old friend, when I lied to my _family_ for him.

And the worst part? I trusted him enough to go against Edward; trusted him enough that he won't let anything bad happen to me, my friends, or my family. I let go of my dream of going to LSE just because I believed in him. Never in my life have I been so wrong about someone. Never in my life have I felt this betrayed by anyone.

Now, I know all too well what Edward must feel like. The sense of being betrayed by the person you _choose_ to trust blindly… that's the most gutting thing in the world.

And I can't ever forgive myself for breaking the trust Edward placed in me.

_Never again._

I sit up against the headboard, all the while just staring at the beautiful sleeping form of Edward. He's sprawled on the bed, sleeping on his stomach, his mouth hanging open slightly, and the blanket all the way down to his torso. His hair is a disheveled mess, and his cheeks are flush, his back rising and falling as he breathes rhythmically. There is not a single line of worry or a crease of responsibility on his face as he sleeps, not looking a bit like a man who would probably go out and do something illegal in a matter of hours.

_He's a mob boss. Fuck me._

I'm amazed by the realization of how much it doesn't even matter to me anymore. A few days ago, I was pitting him for being the way he is. And now… it doesn't even fucking _matter _to me. That's how far I'm gone over him. If I have a choice between never seeing Edward again versus being with him forever, flaws included, there isn't even a contest. Edward will always win. Always.

I don't think I would ever get used to what he does, but I hope I'll get over it someday. Because… just because it's _Edward_. Simple as that.

I smile at my little epiphany and run my hands through his hair, placing a lingering kiss on his forehead. And because he's impossible to resist, I go on to kiss his cheeks, and then his closed eyelids, and his nose.

_Fuck, I'm such a creeper._

My face blushes scarlet as I realize that I basically just attacked him while he was asleep, and I quickly skip into the bathroom to freshen up and spare myself from further embarrassment. After spending my sweet time showering and such, I pull on my shorts. But I can't find my t-shirt anywhere, so I just pull on one of Edward's sweatshirts.

_Okay, now what?_

I'm not really sure about where to go from here. Do I go into the kitchen and make us some breakfast, or do I go sit quietly in the drawing room like the guest I am?

Eh, I'm already wearing his clothes. It's not like I can invade his privacy further.

So I do the one thing I'm surely good at – I make French fries, bacon, triple cheese omelets, and strawberry smoothies. _Edward's breakfast ritual in Forks down to the T_. Just as soon as I'm done with frying the last piece of bacon, Edward enters in the kitchen in black boxers, yawning loudly and scratching his head.

A smile lights up my face at how adorable he still looks in the morning even after all these years and muscles.

_Okay, so he looks adorable and gorgeous and hot and incredibly sexy._

But that's just Edward Cullen for you.

He stops as he spots me in his kitchen, doing a double take, and then gives me a nervous smile. "I thought I smelled food," he says huskily.

_And the winner of Husky Voice at Dusky Times is Edward fuckhot Cullen. _

I return his smile with one of mine. "Yeah, I thought I'd make us some breakfast. Is that all right?" I'm still unsure about where we really stand. I mean, sure he said all those things last night, but a lot of shit is still left to be aired.

He strolls right over to me and squeezes my bicep. "Of course, _Carina_." And then he proceeds to load his plate with food. My heart flutters and then soars at his simple touch and acceptance. There's a little uncertainty and awkwardness in the air though, which does nothing to put my mind at ease.

I wait for him to realize what I've cooked.

Just as he's done filling his mug with smoothie, he gasps. "You've made my Forks breakfast," he whispers, turning to look at me.

"I have," I reply, my hands fidgeting with the spatula.

"That's, uh" – he clears his throat – "that's great. Thank you. I've…I've not had this food since you-um… we left Forks." He shrugs, but I see his clear implication of how much things changed after I'd left.

He takes a seat at the breakfast bar and eats the omelet, purposely keeping his eyes fixed to the plate.

"Sure," I whisper, last night's guilt and Edward's outburst almost knocking the breath out of me once again.

"Look, Bella," he sighs, sitting back in his chair, "you know I can't stay mad at you. But what you did…I don't even know what to feel. But right now, I honestly don't want to talk about it. We'll have a talk with Alice and Jasper and see where to go from there." I nod, eyes downcast, biting my lip and holding the tears in.

He gets up and cups my cheek, bending low to look me in the eyes. "Just know this – you and me, we're stronger than this. It'll work out."

I nod again, taking in a shaky breath. "Okay."

He whispers a "Good" and goes back to his breakfast.

"Edward, I just… I just want you to know that…" Fuck, I'm trying so hard to say the words but it's just not happening. It's like the word vomit wants to come up, but something keeps pushing it down. It's making me nauseous, almost lightheaded, all of a sudden. "I-I…"

He puts his fork down and wrinkles his brows. "What are you saying? What's wrong, Bella?"

"Not…not _wrong_." _Come out with it already. I'm sure it's not a secret anyway!_ "I'm sure you already know this, but I just think that you need to hear me say it… that _I_ need you to hear me say it." I take in a deep breath. "Edward," I begin, "I need you to understand that I still lo –"

The sudden buzz of the intercom interrupts me. "You should probably answer that," I sigh.

He nods and holds up a finger. "Give me a minute, and I'll be right back. You still have to complete that thought for me." He gives me this intense look, and I nod in response.

He walks over to the intercom and holds down the button. While he talks to the guard, I take a minute to compose myself and prepare for what I'm about to say.

"Well, looks like you'll have to hold on to that thought longer than I would've liked," Edward says, returning to his breakfast and giving me small smile. "Carlisle and Esme are here."

My eyes go wide as saucers in surprise. _Oh shit. I am not prepared for them to see me in their son's apartment, in his clothes, and serving him breakfast._ "Okay," I squeak.

He laughs loudly, shaking his head. "It's just my parents, Bella. Don't give me the caught-in-the-headlights look."

Just his parents who expect an explanation from me for my seven year disappearance and sudden reappearance. Back in Forks, Carlisle and Esme had been more like my parents than Renee and Charlie. When I'd left with Rose, it had hit them bad as well from what Alice told me.

"What have you told them about my...return?"

He looks at me sheepishly. "I haven't told them about you actually. Yet."

I sigh in relief, nodding. "Oh, all right, that's good. I'll talk to them, and can you please let me handle this one my way?"

"Sure," he replies, slightly amused. "I'll go put on some clothes." He's in and out of his room in a few seconds, now wearing a t-shirt and tracks over his boxers.

Just then, there's a loud knock on the door, followed by the buzzing of the bell. "Looks like the 'rents are here," Edward sighs, going over to open the door.

I hold my breath as he opens the door, and Esme barges in spouting something in Italian. Carlisle trails behind her, and after hugging his son, immediately excuses himself to the bathroom.

None of them have noticed me standing in the kitchen yet. Which is a good thing in case you were wondering. Gives me more time to get used to seeing them again.

Esme is wildly gesturing with her hands, and on seeing Carlisle disappear into the bathroom, she suddenly switches to English shouting. "Oh, that's just so typical Carlisle! Who the hell told him to drink so much wine this early in the morning that he can't even hold his bladder long enough to greet his son properly. I'm telling you, _piccolo_, your father will die of alcohol consumption one not-so-fine day."

She huffs loudly and plops down on the sofa, rubbing her temples. "And why haven't I seen you in a week, Edward? _Non manca la tua mamma, hmm?"_

Edward rolls his eyes dramatically and kisses her on the forehead, giving her shoulders a tight hug. "Of course I miss you, Mom. How can I not?"

She melts in his embrace and kisses him on the cheek, standing up from the sofa. "Now let me see what to make you for breakfast. I'm sure you'll have a glass of milk with some bread otherwise, you lazy –"

And Mama Esme has spotted yours truly in the kitchen.

She just freezes, staring at me like I'm a ghost. No sound, no movement.

Fuck.

I stand my ground, giving her ample time to process…well, me. About a minute passes…and she's still staring at me with no expression on her face and her mouth in a small O. I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable now, so I turn my eyes to Edward in confusion. He just shrugs and gestures for me to take a deep breath.

I give him a you're-so-stupid look and turn my eyes back to Esme. Yeah, I have one of those looks.

"I swear I'll never have so much wine again, Esme. _Mio Dio_, that was one long car ride –" On seeing that Esme's attention is otherwise occupied, Carlisle stops talking. "Esme?"

And Papa Cullen has spotted yours truly in the kitchen as well.

Carlisle gasps in surprise and whispers, "Bella?"

_Well, at least he showed a little emotion instead of turning to stone._

That seems to snap Esme right out of her trance though. She quickly walks over to me and palms my cheek, looking me in the eyes. Until this moment, I didn't even realize how much I'd truly missed the only mother figure in my life. Tears sting my eyes as I stare at her slightly wrinkled, yet gorgeous and gentle face.

"Isabella," she whispers, kissing me on the forehead.

"Hi, Esme," I croak through my tears, inhaling the sweet scent of the Cullen household in her. Shit, now I'm getting emotional and weepy all over again.

She pulls me into a tight hug, and I hold her with everything in me, both of us crying and saying how much we missed each other. "Why did you do that to us?" Esme cries. I feel sick to my stomach thinking about all the pain I caused not only Edward, but so many other people.

"I'm sorry, Esme, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" I plead, still a sobbing mess. I look up at Edward, silently asking for his forgiveness as well. He gives me a warm smile, and a ray of hope ignites in me. I clench my eyes shut, praying, _please, God! Please, give me a chance to make it up to him._

"Only if you promise never to leave again!" she scolds me, giving me a light slap on the back.

"Never again," I promise. "I'm back for good this time."

My eyes automatically seek Edward to see his reaction to my words, and he gives me a wide grin.

I smile in return, and he coughs, trying to hide the little redness around his eyes. I roll my eyes, smirking at his pathetic attempt at being stealth about crying. _The big baby._

"Will I get a turn with Bella too?" Carlisle asks as he winks at me and walks over to us.

Esme releases me with kisses on both cheeks, and I'm thoroughly reminded of her Italian exuberance. _You gotta love this woman. _

Carlisle hugs me and whispers in my ear, "Welcome back, _tessoro_."

"Thanks, Carlisle. I missed you guys so much."

"Oh, Bella, you have no idea how much you've been missed in this household."_ So much for not feeling like shit._ "I'm so, so glad you're back." He releases me with a kiss on the forehead.

"Now that we're done celebrating the homecoming of the warrior, how about we have some breakfast?" Edward says, walking over to me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"You, young man, didn't feel the need to tell us that Bella's back in town?" Esme says, glaring at Edward.

He looks at me and murmurs, "All yours."

I turn to Esme with a smile. "Actually, Esme, I told him not to. I wanted to surprise you guys." She looks like she's just about going to burst with questions, so I continue, "I'll answer all your questions. But, for now, how about some breakfast? Seeing as Edward can be counted as three people with his appetite, I've made extra, so there's just enough for all of us."

"Yeah, yeah, you know it, Swan," Edward says, pinching me on the forearm.

"Hey!" I exclaim, smacking him on the chest.

He laughs, and kisses my forehead, and then goes to reheat his breakfast. _Wow, my forehead's sure been getting a lot of attention this morning. Not that I'm complaining._

I chuckle to myself, shaking my head. I look up, only to see Esme staring at me with an I-know-what's-happening smirk on her face and an excited gleam in her eyes.

_Here we go._

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_**Non manca la tua mamma, hmm? - You don't miss your mother, hmm?**_

**I am shamelessly going to say this now - I want a review with your thoughts for this chapter 'cos I was literally biting my nails before posting it. For the welfare of my nails, REVIEW! **

**A little talk with the Cullens totally makes me feel sappy :') The flashback was there to basically give you an idea of how strong their connection's always been. **

**Can't wait to hear from you guys on this one. *grins cheekily***

**Till the next time!**


	16. Chapter 15: All In

**Heyy there, y'all! How have you been this weekend? **

**First off, I'd like to thank everyone for all your amazing reviews and love for the story. You honestly make me feel special and loved, people. And for that, I'm forever grateful! **

**Secondly, some people have been saying that this fic is exactly like "This Life" by CaraNo. All I'd like to say is that go back and read it again if you think so, and then tell me ONE thing that is similar to the plot-line. All Mafia fics are not the same, all right? So stop accusing me and my work. If you want to have a chat, at least have the guts to sign in before reviewing. I give credit where it's due, and I have given it in this fic also. **

**And thirdly, I have a new story! Yes, a new Christmas fic! Go check out Merry Christmas, Stranger on my profile and leave me some love.**

**Beta'd by Ange and the lovely Heather.**

**Pre-read by Phoebe44, who always points out the finer details. **

**Enjoyy :)**

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"Passion is like rain. He was a storm."

**Chapter 15**

**All In**

"Hey, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"You know who that is?"

"No, I don't, _Carina_. Have we met him before?"

"Of course! You don't remember?"

"Uh…no?"

"That's Ricky from Forks High!" I exclaim, pointing excitedly to the TV screen and jumping on the couch.

"Who's Ricky?" He scrunches up his nose in confusion, looking at me like I've lost my mind.

"Edward," I drawl. "Ricky Simz! That guy who pulled my ponytail and threw erasers in my mouth, and then you punched him in the face. Damn, you were so badass back then," I say dreamily, reminiscing about the good 'ol Edward.

He barks out a laugh. "_Back then_? And yeah, now I do remember the _mamaluke_."

I roll my eyes at him. _Boys. _"Well, I'm sure you're still badass, but I don't really have any evidence to prove it, do I?" I wink at him, and he raises an eyebrow with a wicked smirk on his face. _Oh shit._ I quickly backtrack on seeing the it's-on look on his face. "That was _not_ a challenge, Cullen."

"You got it, baby girl." He winks back at me. _What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ He changes the subject pretty fucking fast though. "What's he doing in a Wonderland commercial anyway?"

I laugh loudly at that. "Right?" And then I start to gossip away like the gossip-whore I am. "See, I heard that he's been getting offers for starring in amusement park commercials, all dressed up like their mascot." I laugh, thinking about the buff Ricky as "Totter the friendly Otter." I continue, "And yesterday, Alice told me that his ex-girlfriend, Mickey, you remember her?" He nods. "She dumped him so fast when she and her friends went to this party, and he was dressed like 'Eddy Teddy', shaking his butt and entertaining little kids. A man's gotta fill his belly somehow I guess."

He chuckles. "He's always been a pussy if you ask me."

"Word."

"Hey, Bella?" he says, looking at me hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna go see my parents today?"

"But we just saw them three days ago."

It was three days ago that they'd come here and had seen me for the first time in seven years. We'd all talked for hours that day, and when I'd told them about Alice being back as well, they'd wanted to see her immediately. So we assured them that we would bring her over soon. After that day, I'd told Edward everything about every minute we'd spent at the headquarters and with Jacob.

Since I couldn't really go back to my apartment now, I stayed over at Edward's, and Alice stayed over at Jasper's. By now, Jacob obviously knew that we had run out on him. Things seemed pretty calm at present, but we all knew it wasn't going to last. There was definitely a back-story to the strained relationship between Edward and Jacob, but I was apprehensive to bring it up at this point, so I kept my mouth shut about it.

Edward and I… we were getting along surprisingly well. There was no mention whatsoever of him as EC and the… duties it entitles. Sure there were a few awkward moments when I would feel so guilty at any remembrance of all that had happened that I couldn't even look him in the eye. But he'd give me a little smile and the world would be right again. After all, like he'd said – we're stronger than this shit.

"Yeah, we did. But now they know about Alice staying with Jasper and invited them over today. Alice asked me if I would go with them to act as a sort of buffer between her and Jasper." He sighs, running his hand through his hair, and giving me a tight smile.

"Oh. Like that." I slump back on the couch, frowning at their situation.

"And I don't want to be alone between those two. You'll come, right?"

"Yes, of course. But I just feel so bad for them."

The very same day that Edward got to know the truth, Alice told Jasper as well. Let's just say he didn't take the news… well. From as much as they were telling us, Jasper had gone totally bonkers and pulled the trigger on Alice. She freaked the fuck out and kicked him in the balls. Jasper was extremely angry, and if you ask me, I'm surprised Edward didn't react the same way. But I think we have years of mutual understanding and a relationship to credit for that, while Alice and Jasper's relationship is fairly newfound. Him freaking out over her working undercover is pretty understandable.

Anyhow, the point at hand is that Jasper won't talk to Alice no matter how hard she's tried, not even when the four of us sat together and talked shit out. Yeah…that was a stressful day. Jasper just looked like someone ran him over, Edward looked like he was in pain throughout the day, Alice couldn't stop crying, and me… I was comfortably numb. But there was one thing that we all had agreed upon – Jacob Black was going down. The shit he'd pulled… it wasn't going to be forgiven or forgotten. And especially not by Edward, Jasper and myself.

A sigh escapes me as I think about my current living conditions. I'm in Chicago, which is actually where my real home with Rosalie and Emmett is, and yet I'm basically homeless.

"Why do you look like someone just kicked your puppy, Swan?" Edward asks, punching me

lightly on my bicep. "Alice and Jasper will be fine."

I shake my head. "Yeah, I know, I mean I hope so. But it's not about them. I was just thinking about… you know… my living arrangements."

"What about it?" He scrunches up his nose adorably, and I'm beginning to think that it's a new habit of his when he's confused. Just like when he runs his fingers through his hair when he's frustrated.

"Edward, I can't live here forever. I've always lived with Rose and Em up until I went to college where I lived in the dorms, coming home for the weekends. And then… well, all of this happened." He nods, waiting for me to continue. "Half my stuff is at Rosalie's, which is fine, I can get it anytime. But the other half, the _important_ half, is at the apartment Alice and I were staying at."

He lets out a breath and throws his head against the back of the couch, closing his eyes. "Oh."

_That's it? 'Oh?'_

But then he continues, "What important stuff?"

"My passport for starters. Then there's my clothes, my accessories, my shoes, my photo albums, some of my treasured personal belongings. I can't wear your clothes forever," I say matter-of-factly. "And there are other important documents that I'll definitely need some time later in my life."

"All right, so your clothes and shit don't matter, Bella." I'm ready to protest that my clothes and "shit" matter a lot, when he interrupts me before I can get a word out. "You can always buy new ones –"

"Yes, because I can totally access my bank account I'm sure. Jacob will not be tracking anything _at all_," I reply sarcastically.

He looks at me like I'm dumb. "I have more than enough money to keep a state in Africa afloat. For a month." _Right. Doesn't he know me at all? _"Before you give me your mile long spiel of how you'd rather die than let me spend money on you, let me complete." He continues without waiting for me, "You can repay me, with interest, when all this shit blows over. O'right?"

And I forget all about money as soon as he says "O'right" instead of "All right". Actually, my mind went into the gutter the minute he threw back his head and his long neck, not to mention his jaw, were right in front of my face.

My eyes immediately cut to his lips, and all I can focus on is how they would feel all over my body. A bead of perspiration slides down my neck as I suddenly feel hot and really, really turned on.

"Mmhmm," I murmur, my eyes still glued to his lips.

I watch his Adam's apple bob as he says, "Excellent" with a beaming smile. My heart rate picks up as I see his lips moving. _His full, pink lips that have such potential and my poor self has yet to be acquainted properly with them._

He snaps his fingers in front of my face, effectively pulling me out of my Edward induced haze.

"Are you even listening to me, Bella?" he asks, irritated.

"Sorry. What?"

"I said that Jacob probably has your passport and other documents with him. I'm sure we won't find anything in the house even if we go look for it. So…well…your passport and such will have to wait."

That sure snaps me out of any sort of haze pretty fucking fast. "Oh my God," I gasp. "I didn't even think about that!"

He nods and pats my hand comfortingly. "I'm good at the thinking part."

"I bet," I mutter, lost in my own thoughts. "So, wait. Are you saying that my passport and stuff is gone forever?"

"Well, I wouldn't quite say forever… but maybe something like for an extended period of time."

"How…extended exactly?"

"Until Jacob Black's ass is mine. Then you'll have them back."

"So… not long." I grin.

He laughs and kisses me on the forehead. "Yes. Not long, sweet cheeks."

Edward goes to…work at eleven after three days of staying here and talking and talking and talking, and I find myself exploring his massive bookshelf. It's absolutely amazing, filled with books from top to bottom, all arranged alphabetically. For a young bachelor, Edward lives a very organized life, be it his room or condo.

I'm surprised to find The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand in here, and I pull it out, thinking I'm all sorted for this afternoon. As I settle in the white couch in front of the bookshelf, the doorbell rings. _Ugh, so much to kill the mood. _

Edward didn't say anything about a visitor though… So, I tentatively press down on the intercom and the guard downstairs answers.

"Hi. Uh…I'm calling from Edward Cullen's apartment. There's someone at the door, and you didn't inform me of anyone coming up. So I was just wondering who it was?"

The guard sounds hassled as he answers, "Oh I'm so sorry, Miss Swan, but he had a key. I assumed you knew someone was coming. Do you want me to send security up to give the man a look over?"

If he had a key, then he probably wasn't a rapist/murderer. Edward had told me that only three people had a key to his apartment, so I guess it was all right.

"No, it's okay. Thanks."

I open the door and come face-to-face with a black guy who's huge. And when I say huge, I mean tilt-your-head-all-the-way-up-and-take-a-step-back-in-fright huge.

"Uh... ye-yes?" I stutter.

"Hello again, Miss Swan." The big, black guy grins down at me and winks. _Holy shit. How does everybody seem to know my name these days?_

"Do I know you?"

"I'm Alec, Miss Swan. EC has sent me to be your bodyguard for the day."

"Alec…?" I rack my brain for confirmation because I have a feeling I've met him before. _Of course! It's _that _Alec!_ "Oh, hiiii," I drawl, grinning back at him. "I remember you now. Where's your partner? That other blond guy?"

His face falls, but he quickly recovers and gives me a sad smile. "He's not with us anymore."

"Yeah? He, what, changed jobs or somethin'?"

"No, Miss Swan, he's dead."

Oh God.

"I'm so sorry!" I reply, utterly mortified.

"It's all right. It was a long time ago anyway." He shrugs. I invite him in and offer him something to eat, which he declines, and then I ask him to take a seat, make himself comfortable, which he again declines. _Whatever, he's not my guest to entertain anyway._

"Why has Edward sent you though? This place is pretty secure without a… bodyguard."

"EC just wants to make sure you're safe at all times."

I wait for him to elaborate, but he just stares at me with an I-have-nothing-more-to-say expression. "Right," I say awkwardly.

I try as much as I can to ignore him, but it's not all that easy. Every few minutes, I discreetly look up from my book, and he's always in the same position – sitting on the breakfast bar with his eyes either glued to me or sweeping the place. Freaky.

Edward calls me sometime during the late afternoon, asking if I'm all right and if today's dinner at his parents' is still on.

"Yeah, it is. What should I wear though?" I ask, biting my lip as I go through the limited number of clothes I have.

"You have my credit card right?" he asks.

"Yup, I do." He'd given me his card to order clothes and any other necessities I needed at any given time.

"Order whatever you want then. I think a simple dress or something would be fine."

"All right, I'll do that."

"And, Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Uh…Alec's there right?"

I cover my mouth with my hand, hissing into the phone, "Yes he's here. And you are in deep, deep trouble, Edward Cullen. Do you have any idea how absolutely uncomfortable and awkward this is?"

"I had to make sure you were safe," he says defensively.

"Stop treating me like a kid for God's sake. Of course I'm safe in your fortress of a penthouse."

He sighs, and I can tell it's his you-win-even-though-I'm-right sigh. "We'll talk more about this later." He tells me rather than ask, and I reply with a "You bet your ass we will!"

I cut the line and smile at Alec, knowing he's probably heard every word I said. "It's nothing personal," I assure him.

He laughs. "I know, Miss Swan."

I grin at him. "You can call me Bella."

"All right, Miss Swan."

I shake my head and get back to reading away. Around five in the evening, when I'm finally getting to the good part between Dominique and Howard Roark, Edward comes home.

_Okay, it feels equal parts amazing and weird to call this place 'home'._

Alec leaves as soon as Edward's home, which I'm quite thankful for honestly. He was starting to creep me out with that hulking body of his.

After chastising him sufficiently about the whole Alec thing, during which he just nods away, I give a defeated huff and go to get dressed. Earlier, I ordered a black one-shoulder lace dress with black pumps. Even though I had to pay extra for a quick delivery, it's quite a gorgeous dress.

I'm about to set rollers in my hair to give them that extra volume when the intercom buzzes.

"Bella," Edward shouts from the guest bathroom. Yes, I dismissed him to the smaller bathroom so I could get ready in peace in the en suite in his master bedroom.

"Yeah?" I yell back.

"Can you see who it is? I'm on the pot!"

"Sure," I holler while walking toward the living room. "And btw, TMI!"

His boisterous laugh follows me as I press down on the button. But before I can utter a word, there's some shuffling and shouting on the other side.

"Edward! Open the fucking gate! I don't have a key, motherfucker. It's really important and this security ass of yours won't let me in –"

"Mr. Mc…"

Oh God, what the hell? I can't make out shit. Who the fuck is here?

"Who is this?" I say.

There's no response. I'm greeted by absolute silence on the other side.

"Miss Swan." There's some shuffling on the other side, and then the guard huffs, "Mr. McCarty's here."

* * *

**I figured it's been a loooong time since I ended a chap in a cliffy. So here we are! And the next chapter will be up in a week, so don't hate! I love you all chickazz *blows a kiss***

**Leave me a review down here to let me know how you felt about this chapter. **

**Till the next time *hugs***


	17. Chapter 16: Working Out

**Heyy, you guys! It's almost Christmas *squeals and jumps around the room*. I feel so good to be updating on time. Really, it's an amazing feeling when you know you're not making your readers wait for more than a week. Thank you soooo much to everyone for all the love! It means more to me than you'll ever know.**

**And a special thanks to all those people who supported me in saying that this fic is nothing like This Life. Big smooches to y'all lovelies. This one's for you!**

**Let's thank Heather and Ange for making this chapter all cleaned up. You two rock *kisses***

**A big thanks to Phoebe who pre-reads my shit and makes me go over the chapter thrice before I'm finally happy with it. Everything makes so much more sense with her :')**

**We have a new sweet-ass to thank, people! A shout out to Jen who also pre-reads my shit and her words of encouragement make me go all "yayayay someone likes it!"**

**Yeah, I think that's everyone for now. Oh oh, and also all the guest reviewers! And those who sign in and review too. I can't find the time to reply these days *huffs*. But I'll get to it soon enough, I promise.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Lol at me. **

**Enjoyy :)**

* * *

**Chapter song: Timeless by Kate Havnevik (seriously, go listen to this)**

**Chapter 16**

**Working Out**

**EmPOV**

Another night of tossing and turning.

Another night of staring at your phone in hopes that it'll ring any second now.

Another night of hearing your wife softly cry herself to sleep.

Another night of the ache in your chest because you don't know what's a lie and what's the truth.

And another night of hoping that your little sister-in-law is fine.

I turn off the bedside lamp and try to drift off to sleep, not having experienced this particular luxury in the last thirty-two hours. Surgery after surgery had me on my toes, but the good part was that it kept me distracted. From…everything.

The great part though is that Rose is pregnant. The thought is enough to bring a small smile to my face, regardless of the given circumstances. When Rosalie and I had called Bella to let her know about the pregnancy, she'd been delighted of course, but her abrupt cutting of the line was enough to confirm my suspicions that something was wrong. Even before that, whenever we'd talk to her, the conversations would be brief and to the point which was very unlike Bella. She was the Bella who would talk for hours on the phone to her sister when she'd been living in the dorms right here in Chicago, and now she was living in another time zone entirely. There was no way she could live without talking to Rosie.

The first time I truly questioned her lies was when Bella told us that she didn't want us to come to London. Hell if I wasn't surprised out of my fucking mind. Right then was when I knew something was terribly wrong with my little Bellybutton. We called her insistently for a few days but mostly got her voicemail. When she actually did pick up, the conversation wouldn't last more than a minute.

Rose and I were sick with worry. And when she didn't answer for three days, I called up LSE. Thinking about that conversation… it still gives me the chills. They told us that Bella had never even signed in at the college or dorms, that she hadn't even shown up to the college. All this time… all the lies…

She still won't pick up the phone, and we don't know what to do. Rose, ever the over-protective sister, wants to hire a PI.

But I knew someone who was sure to find out about Bella faster than any PI in the world could.

I knew Edward Cullen.

Come evening, I was going to ask for a favor from the Skipper as a best friend.

_~TETB~_

"Hey, man, is Boss Man there?" I ask Enzo, one of the men in Edward's crew, as I enter _Il Cigno_ and see him at one of the booths farther back. This is where they all have their sit-downs or whatever the fuck, and I've got to speak to my man right the fuck now.

"Nah, man, he left early today," he replies and shares a private smile with Alonzo, another guy in Edward's crew.

"What?" I ask, looking between them. I know that look, and if it means what I think it means, EC's definitely getting some tonight.

"He has a _fine_ dame waiting for him at home is what I've heard," Alonzo says, laughing. "I bet she's" – he kisses the tips of his fingers in a gesture to show how marvelous she really must be – "if EC left early for her." These Italians are big with their hand gestures.

"I bet," I murmur. _Fucking hell. The _one_ day I need to talk to him desperately, he's otherwise…occupied. _Fuck it. Finding Bella is more important than him getting off with some random chick, and I _will_ talk to him today no matter what. "He's gone back to the apartment?"

"_Si_," Alonzo says. "Left an hour back."

"_Grazie, _motherfucka'_," _I Italians rub off on you; sue me for having picked up a word or two.

"Aye!" Alonzo shouts in protest and flips me the bird. But then he laughs, "Be sure to knock before entering, _dottore_."

"Will do." I laugh, and then I'm off with a two finger wave in their direction. Aside from the fact that they…do what they do, these guys are fucking awesome. When all the crew is gathered, it's like a riot, a party just waiting to happen. And the jokes…_oh the jokes…_

As a matter of fact, I hear one out of Santino's mouth as I'm on my way out. "Really, guys, no more vagina jokes now. Period."

The table bursts out in a sudden uproar of laughter, along with a few 'I have another one's. I shake my head and let out my own chuckle. A bunch of horn dogs these guys are.

_~TETB~_

"Sir! Wait up," the security guard hollers behind me as I make my way to the elevators going up to Edward's penthouse.

I turn around. "Yeah?"

"Can I have your name?"

My eyebrows furrow in confusion, and I give him the are-you-stupid look. "I'm Emmett McCarty, you already know that. I've come here with Edward Cullen, maybe, I don't know a few hundred times!"

"Yes, sir." His expression remains blank as he answers, and I don't have time for this shit right now. "But Mr. Cullen has said not to let anyone in who doesn't have a key. So I'll have to talk to him first."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Just hurry up." I urge him forward with my hand, and he quickly dials the extension to Edward's apartment.

A few seconds later, he keeps the receiver down. "Sorry, sir, but Mr. Cullen says not to let anyone up."

I arch an eyebrow up at that. Edward would never deny me entrance to his condo, and I can bet my life on it. The fucker didn't even dial. "Give me that phone," I say, and I've snatched it from his hands and dialed the extension to Edward's condo before he can stop me. _I got the moves, asswipe._

"Edward! Open the fucking gate! I don't have a key, motherfucker. It's really important, and this security ass of yours won't let me in –"

The guard tries to snatch the phone from me, but I'm fighting against all odds today. It's absolutely necessary to talk to Cullen, and nothing's stopping me.

And then I hear the voice. _Her_ voice.

I freeze mid-sentence, mid-breath, and mid-fight.

"Who is this?" she says.

_No. No, it's not possible. No way. No fucking way in hell…_

I don't even register it as the guard takes the phone from me and then says, "Miss Swan, Mr. McCarty's here."

Miss Swan.

Swan.

Bella Swan.

I must have hit the speakerphone in all this commotion, because I hear her reply. "Send him up," she whispers after a few seconds have passed. _It's really her. She's _here_. _

He gives me an appalled look. "But, Miss, Mr. Cullen has strictly told me not to let anybody –"

"I said, send. Him. Up."

"Right away, Miss." He turns to address me. "If you can follow me, sir."

I don't even know when I reach the penthouse, and I'm standing in front of the gate, pressing on the bell.

And then my little Bella is standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a robe, her hair in some round things, looking perfect… and alive… and healthy… and…

And then I see Edward standing behind her.

"Emmett," she whispers, a small smile on her face.

Almost as if there's no control over my body, my senses, I have him pinned to the opposite wall in a matter of about one second. Rage clouds all my thoughts.

"_What_ did you do to her?" I talk slowly, right in front of his face, but make sure he can hear the threat and hate clear in my voice. When the bastard doesn't reply, I thrust him further into the wall by his collar. "Answer me, asshole!" I bellow.

"Emmett!" Bella shouts behind me. "Let him go!" She claws at my back, but I ignore her.

Never did I think this day would come, but I'm going to kill this fucking bastard with my bare hands. The red haze that covers my eyes, the anger that makes me shake all over, the adrenaline that rushes through my veins, they all mean one thing – Edward Cullen is a dead man.

He gives me a light shrug. "She's Bella, Em. It's her."

What the _fuck _is that supposed to mean? How does that explain _any_-bloody-thing?!

"I know who she is!" I yell. "And don't you say her fucking name, you motherfucker! I told you to stay the fuck away from my family, and you didn't listen. I'm going to KILL you!"

Just the very thought of Bella being involved in this life…with the very man who controls everything… it makes my blood boil. But mostly, it_ scares_ me. It scares the fuck out of me.

"No you're not, Em," he says, a cocky smile on his face. And that's my last shred of sanity leaving me.

I bring back my fist and punch him square in the jaw with as much force I can muster. He falls to the ground at my feet, and I pick him up again, ready to punch his gut this time.

I bring back my fist once again, readying myself to pummel the fucking daylights out of him. "You're dead, Cullen."

Just as I'm about to blow one to his stomach, Bella's standing in front of me, shouting something. I realize that I'm so far gone in my anger that, even though I can see her lips moving, it's all a blur; I can't even hear what she's saying.

Slowly, the haze lifts as I see Bella crying and trying to calm me down. I see Edward nursing his jaw, and I realize I've been frozen in the same position for too long.

I blink. The first thing that comes into focus is Bella's tear-streaked face. "What's going on, Bella?" I whisper. The volume in my voice seems to be tuned down to almost nothing; I can't talk louder than a whisper now while, a few seconds ago, I was shouting my lungs out.

"Em-Em…I-I," she whimpers. She's crying so badly, inconsolably, that she can't even form words. She's choking on her own tears, and it kills me to see her this way.

_Edward did this to her. He hurt my little sister. _

I shake her by the bicep. "Tell me what he did to you, Bella. Tell me," I demand. My eyes snap over to him, and I see him standing a few feet away from us, his gaze fixed on Bella. His face is contorted in pain as he looks at her, like seeing her cry is physically painful to _him_. His hand is almost reaching out, reaching out to pull Bella back.

I look down at her and then back at him.

Edward's words ring through my head. _She's Bella, Em. It's her._

_No. Oh God, no. Please don't let her be _that_ Bella. _

_Edward's Bella._

My eyes bug out of my head as I realize it really is the same Bella who Edward's loved all his life. He had told me about a Bella who he had apparently loved since they were in diapers or some shit, and really, it was hard for me to believe that this man was so hung up over one woman. But he was. Still is.

If I was being truthful, I always had a little suspicion whether bellybutton Bella and his Bella were the same; after all, how many Bellas could there be in an insignificant little town in Washington? But… I just never wanted it to be true, and I couldn't be sure, it was just a tiny inkling. That's why I'd made him promise to stay the fuck away from my family, and I'd taken special care of keeping any mention of an 'Edward' away from our lives at home. Even if she wasn't the one, I wasn't going to take any risks.

But it really was all down the drain now. She was here with him.

At the speed of light, I have Bella across the apartment and almost out the door.

_I have to get her away from this life. It'll crush her. No, she's too innocent for this._

Just as I'm about to exit the fucking place, Edward's standing in the doorway.

"And where exactly do you think you're taking her?" he says, all the previous expression gone, his eyes are now blank. He has on the mask that only EC the Boss Man wears, not Edward.

"Away from you," I spit.

"Emmett-t," Bella whimpers from beside me. "Let me go. It-it…h-hurts."

"She said, let her go." He takes a step toward me and stares into my eyes. "Now," he hisses.

"Don't tell me what to do." I take a step toward the door.

All of a sudden, his fist connects with my face, and I fall backwards, Bella's hand slipping out of mine.

_He did _not _just do that._

"You asshole!" I bellow, getting up, ready for a fight. "How _dare_ you!"

"How dare_ I_?" he yells back. I know he's going to clock me in the face again, and I'm fucking waiting for it. "It's on, mother –"

"Stop it," Bella screeches. Our heads whip simultaneously toward her in shock. "Just stop…it yo-you…both." Her eyes begin to droop, and she starts swaying in place.

Oh _fuck_. She's fainting.

"Bella," I say, alarmed. The fight, the anger, everything is forgotten as Edward and I reach out to stop her from falling down.

In both our arms, she whimpers, and then blacks out.

_~TETB~_

**BPOV**

My head throbs in pain. It hurts so badly, my ears are ringing, and I can't feel my limbs. A groan escapes me as a sudden pain shoots through my temple again.

I slowly open my eyes, and the first thing that comes into focus is Edward's perfect face hovering over me. But it's… why is it so sad and worried? No, he should never look the way he's looking right now.

"Hey," I croak, attempting a small smile.

"Bella," he moans in relief. "How do you feel, baby?"

"Like a truck ran me over." I rub a hand on my face and massage my temples. "Ugh. What happened?"

"Umm… Emmett came over and –"

"Oh fuck," I exclaim, my eyes snapping open. I look to my right, and there he is. Emmett stares at me with a sheepish, almost ashamed, smile on his face.

"Hey, Bellybutton, how you feelin' now?"

"I've been better…I guess. How do you guys feel?" I roam my eyes between the both of them, both their jaws red and swollen, and an apologetic expression on their faces.

They murmur something like "Good" "Yeah, fine", but I can't be too sure. They can barely open their mouths due to the slight swelling.

Before I can say anything though, Emmett bursts into his spiel. "Edward told me everything, Bella. The fucking _nerve_ of Jacob Black…" I look at Edward, and he shrugs in turn. "You didn't have to do what you did, Belly. You let go of LSE. And… and I can't believe you didn't tell us." I'm about to defend my good intentions, or so I thought they had been, when he continues, "I know, I know why you didn't tell us. But… it just hurts to think about all you went through without Rose and I." Hearing my sister's name causes another jab to my heart.

"How is she?" I whisper.

"She's fine. Worried like hell though. We both were," he says. I nod guiltily and hug myself. He continues, "I'm going to get her over here right now, Bella." I look up at him in panic. "It's all right. She can handle it, I bet. Besides, she'll be relieved as fuck to know you're safe and ali –" he stops himself to save me more guilt, "–that you're safe and sound. I'll be back in an hour, all right?" I nod in response.

"You sure you'll be able to drive?" I jerk my chin toward his face and bruised knuckles.

"Yeah, of course. Good thing I'm a doctor, huh? Patched up you, Cullen and myself pretty fast and good."

"Yeah, good thing," I say distractedly, thinking about Rose. "Em, does she have any idea about…" I don't really know how to say it. "Uh… what… Edward does? Actually, what I'm really asking here is… does she know you're …umm… involved?"

He sighs. "No, she doesn't know anything yet. But she will today, I guess." Emmett's eyes dart between me and Edward, who's sitting beside me on the huge couch, my hand in both of his. "Do you know… everything?" he asks me.

"I wouldn't say _everything_. But I do know… enough," I reply.

He nods, accepting it, and gets up to leave. Edward follows suit and closes the door behind Emmett as he leaves with a "Be right back, bitches."

Once he's gone, Edward comes back to my side and holds my face in his large hands, his emerald eyes staring into mine.

"Stop scaring me like that with the fainting. You want me to get a heart attack and die so young, sweet cheeks?"

My God, I fucking love this man.

"I'll work on it," I promise.

He kisses me on the forehead. "You ready to see your sister, _Carina_?"

Tears flow out from the side of my eyes and into my hair. "I am. More than ever."

"That's good." He lay down beside me, and I put my arms around his waist as he crushes me to his chest.

"Edward?" Doesn't fucking matter if I'm the first one to say it. Because it's so fucking obvious, and it feels _right_, this moment… I need to say it. It isn't the first time for either of us saying it to one another. But it does feel like a colossal moment, like a big step into a new beginning, a new chapter of life.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

He holds me tighter, and I brush my lips over his chest, waiting for his response, a little worried as to what he might say, but still confident enough to not feel insecure.

"I love you more than I can ever say, more than words can express. I love you more than anything, Bella Swan."

And this time, the tears that escape my eyes are of absolute joy.

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**Finally it's done and out. And they said it! Fucking finally or what? Jeesh. The next chapter, Rose is coming. And guess what? I've already written it all! *giddy with happiness* Did y'all like the EmPOV?**

**Your reviews make me feel all sorts of awesome! So, well, brighten up my Christmas and revieewww, people!**

**Till the next time *hugs* Runs to write my other fic.**


	18. Chapter 17: Getting It On

**Heyy, you loely people! Here's the next chapter, and I hope you like it. Thanks to everyone for all the lovin'! You people are downright awesome times infinity! Thank you sooo much for everything! And special thanks to Heather and Phoebe for the pimping on twitter *love***

**Oh and a very happy New Year's to y'all! May the next year bring lots of happiness, love and smut in your life xo **

**Beta'd by Heather and Ange, my awesome girls! **

**Pre-read by Phoebs and Jen! My uber-awesome girls!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoyy :)**

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**We're all in the same game, just different levels****  
****Fighting the same hell, just different devils**

**Chapter 17**

**Getting It On**

_Slap._

"Rose," Emmett gasps.

"How _could_ you, Bella? How could you do this to me, to Em, to _yourself_?" she cries, shaking me by the shoulders. I hold my hand up to Edward to tell him to stop right there, because I know he's coming toward us to break Rose and me up. But this is something I need to do myself.

"I did what I thought was right, Rosie," I say, trying to make her see my point of view. My cheek stings something fierce with the impact of her slap and tears fill my eyes. But I hold them in because this is not a moment to become weak and start crying like I did when Emmett got here. I have to stay strong for Rose, for me.

"_Right? _You think this was the right fucking thing to do?!" She takes my face between her hands and stares into my eyes. "You think it was the right thing to let go of LSE? That it was the right thing to lie to your family for some motherfucking pig _Fed_? You think it was the _right_ thing to get involved with the fucking Mafia?!"

Never have I heard my sister curse so much in one breath. Hearing her say it all like that, hearing the anguish and disappointment behind her words, it opens up a fresh wound in my heart. All over again, the guilt, the remorse, washes over me, the reasons being quite different as they were with Edward, yet the same this time over.

When Emmett had brought Rose over, he had already told her about Jacob, saying some bullshit about giving her a 'head-start'. All it did was anger her beyond words and make my job ten times more difficult. After I was done telling Rose everything, she just stood there like a statue. That's until Emmett felt the need to tell her that he was involved with Volterra as well and that he was sorry he hadn't told her. All she'd said was "You thought I didn't fucking know? All those late nights, all those phone calls, the smell of bleach, you really thought I wouldn't notice?"

And then there was no stopping her. She turned on me with fury and judgment in her eyes and slapped me hard. Which brings us back to the present, the fucking _twisted_ present.

"Answer me, goddammit!" She shakes me once again and looks like she wants to hit something. _Probably me._

"Yes," I whisper, keeping my eyes down.

Her hands go still, and she takes in a deep breath. After a few seconds, I see her give a slight nod. "Do you still think what you did is right?" she asks, oddly calm for someone who was going ape-shit crazy mere moments ago.

"No," I answer. "I don't think it was right to believe Jacob so easily. But he had Alice as well as a good load of evidence to support his argument. Lying to Em and you, though, that was something I was doing for your protection, Rose, I already told you that. At that point, I was literally at the mercy of Jacob Black." I can hear someone clench their teeth at his name, and my only guess is that it's Edward. "As for the Mafia thing… I'm not involved with _anything_. Rose, you know how Edward and I were back in Forks, you've witnessed it firsthand. It was impossible to separate us, and you still have questions about why I chose him over everything?"

"He's not the same person, Bella, and you know that." She points an accusing finger at me and narrows her eyes, her lips pressed together tightly.

"He's Edward, Rose." That's all the explanation that's needed. I can see a thousand emotions flicker through her face, and not one of them is what I was hoping for. She still doesn't understand.

"Are you happy with your decision, with Edward?" she asks, her eyes conveying just how much my answer holds weight. This is the million dollar question. Was I happy?

"I regret a lot of choices I made in the past few weeks, but I can't go back and change anything now. And the truth is that I can't find it in me to regret, or to want to change, anything that led me back to Edward. I've been through a lot of shit, Rose, I've been through _a lot _in these last few days. With Edward, I'm…I'm me, no matter how bloody cliché that may sound. Even if we fight, I know he's it for _me_, just like you know Emmett's the one for _you_." The room is deathly quiet, and I feel all three pairs of eyes baring a hole inside my face. "So I guess what I'm saying here is that I'm with Edward no matter what. You can't make me leave with you, and I don't want to leave with anyone but him. I just want you to understand, Rose, that I love you more than I can say, but Edward is my other half. I can't exactly live with half my soul can I?"

And finally it's there. She understands.

She nods, a small smile threatening to break free. "I get it, Bells. I may not support you in this, but I do understand what you mean. You two are a package deal." I hear Edward chuckle and mutter an agreement. She rolls her eyes playfully and takes a hesitant step toward me, and then a sudden pain flits across her face. She lightly touches my cheek with her fingertips, her eyes on my cheek as her fingers slowly trace the now fading marks of her palm. "I'm so sorry," she whispers. "Can you forgive me for this?"

"There's nothing to forgive," I say. She instantaneously engulfs me in a tight embrace and begins to squeeze the stuffing out of me.

"Never are you allowed to scare me like that again, bitch!"

And the Rose I know and love is back.

I laugh through the tears that have now spilled over and continue to rock her from side to side. "I promise. Never again." _I seem to be promising 'never again' a whole lot these days…_ "Wanna have a drink to celebrate?"

She suddenly freezes, her hands falling to her sides limply, and she stands back to look me in the face. "Bella," she gasps. "I can't drink!"

"Wha…?" My face scrunches up in confusion. "Why can't you –"

Oh my God.

Oh.

My.

God.

I can't believe I actually forgot!

"Oh my God," I screech. "You're pregnant, Rose!" I shout and start jumping up and down in place. I run toward Emmett and hug him tightly, shouting "Rosie is preggers" over and over again. I'm so fucking excited for the birth of my nephew or niece. I'm going to be the best Auntie ever, and I'm going to spoil the kid so bad, Rose and Em won't know what hit 'em!

Insert another squeal._ Auntie_ Bella!

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," she mutters, but begins to laugh and squeal with me when I can't stop jumping around the place, and then I pull Em and Rose into a group hug.

"Hey! You guys forgot me," Edward says, his bottom lip jutting out in a mock pout.

"Aw, you poor left out baby. Come here." Yeah, no, I'm not the one who says this, it's Emmett who does. Nonetheless, Edward rolls his eyes and comes to wrap his arms around my waist from the behind. Rose is holding my right arm, her other one holding Emmett's, while Em holds my left hand. We all just stand there stupidly smiling at each other.

"Congrats, Rose," Edward says, as he winds his arms out from around me and wraps Rose in a hug. "And it's good to see you again after all these years."

"Thanks, Edward. It's good to see you too. Although, you still have a loooong way to go in the 'gain the person closest to Bella's approval' department." She pats him on the back, and I see Edward gulp. "On a serious note, I think Bella's too good for you, unless you can prove me wrong that is."

God didn't give us Swan women a filter, and to Rose even more so. Case in point once again. _Why, God, why?_

My cheeks go aflame at her comment. Edward seems unfazed, though, as he unwraps from around her and pats her cheek. "I never said she isn't, Rose."

"Awwww." Yup, this time it is me saying this. With the roller coaster of emotions that the day has been, and especially with the current reminder of Rose's pregnancy, I'm all kinds of mush right now. So it doesn't surprise anyone when I coo at Edward and kiss him full on the lips.

There isn't any tongue involved, but when I start to pull away, I expect for Edward to let go.

But he doesn't.

His hands find their way to the small of my back, and he pulls me into him. I groan as I feel his tongue swipe across my bottom lip, and I eagerly open my mouth to allow him entrance. My hands find their way into his hair, and I pull him even closer, tighter against my body. He moans as I scrape my nails on the nape of his neck, and his hands move higher up my back, only to tangle his fingers through my hair, almost massaging my nape with my hair still between his fingers.

We're all moans, groans, and hands. I'm hot and already so wet for him, and I can easily feel Edward's erection through the towel material of my robe.

"Oh God, stop it, you guys!" Emmett shouts somewhere in the background, but neither of us break away to acknowledge it. "That's my little sister!"

Edward breaks the kiss but keeps his lips in contact with my skin as he begins to kiss down my jugular. I pant loudly and throw my head back as I feel his swollen lips right under my jaw. I think he mutters a "Go away, you fucking cockblock" but I can't be too sure. But I do hear running footsteps, a loud "I'll have to bleach out my brain now, thanks to you two fuckers!", and a distinct click of a closed door.

In the back of my mind, I feel a little embarrassed knowing we basically started our foreplay in front of my sister and Em, but I forget all about it as soon as Edward lightly bites down on the lobe of my ear.

"Edward," I moan. I move my hands down his back, and I feel his muscles ripple under my touch. Just as I came down, my fingers now move up on his bare skin under his shirt. And holy _fuck_, the feel of his muscles, his skin under my fingers… it gives me a light shiver as I also begin to kiss down his neck.

He suddenly grabs me by the shoulder and pushes me back an inch. In the same motion, his mouth is on the base of my neck and then he's…fuck he's sucking, biting, licking, and then softly kissing across my collarbones.

I pant and moan, and if he doesn't get his lips on me right about this second, I'm afraid the moisture pooling in the apex between my thighs might just start trickling down. I'm completely bare inside the robe, and Edward's hands slowly but surely start removing the piece of cloth from my chest and to the side.

"Mmmm," he murmurs against my skin, his mouth swift in its downward motion. He licks the swell of my breasts and then lightly pushes my tits together and starts placing open-mouthed kisses on my cleavage.

"Edward….unh…_fuck_," I pant. God, the sensations that rush to my centre… they make my legs almost buckle from beneath. I fist his shirt and hold myself tighter against him.

"You taste amazing, Bella," he says, his face buried between my tits. I'm about to fucking fall if we don't move to the bed right the fuck now.

"Edward…b-bed," I manage to choke out, my mind turning into goo and my legs almost giving out. He picks me up bridal style and carries me to his room in three seconds flat. Gently, he lays me down and begins to crawl on top of me.

I look into his emerald eyes, which are dark with lust, and my face flushes under his penetrating gaze. "This," he says, fingering the rope on my robe, "needs to go."

Like the smooth fucker he is, he has the robe untied and my front bare to him in one twist of his wrist. His eyes snap to my centre, the smell of my arousal thick in the air between us. And the best part? I don't even feel embarrassed or shy being like this with him in this moment, because the look of pure desire and worship he gives me… it's beyond erotic.

I move my hands from my side and pull off his shirt, my fingers tracing the lines on his abs once it's off. He's…he's gorgeous, and beautiful, and so,_ so_ sexy. "I love you, baby," I whisper, my voice thick with desire. I kiss his chest. "Your smooth fucking abs." I kiss his Adam's apple. "Your sexy fucking jaw." And then finally, I suck his bottom lip between mine. "And I fucking love your pussy-eating lips."

And the words are barely out of my moth when, without any preamble, his mouth dives straight to my pussy.

"_Edward_," I cry out, fisting the sheets beside me. He pushes my legs farther apart—the farthest they can go—muffling his face, licking up and down, and softly sucking on my clit. His nose skims across my clit now as his tongue teases my opening.

"God, Edward," I moan. "That's it, baby. _Ohh_—"

"Be-Bella," he says, sounding muffled from my pussy. My eyes roll to the back of my head, and I can feel my orgasm build as he sucks on my clit, his tongue making a regular motion across my hot, wet pussy. This is just too much for my brain to take.

My fingers weave into his hair again, holding him close to my pussy and just hoping I don't suffocate him. He starts to lick faster, inserts a finger, and I lose it.

My whole body shakes, as I feel my walls milk his finger. He leans back, looking up to me, while I try to catch my breath. He gives me that satisfied, sexy, crooked smirk and bends his head low once more, to circle my opening with his tongue. He sucks my climax right out of me.

"Fuck," I say, staring down at him, my chest rising and falling erratically.

He sweetly kisses the inside of my thigh. "That was beautiful," he says in an awed tone. And then he proceeds to kiss me with a passion. I can taste my arousal on him, and it's driving me mad once again. My hands fumble as I try to unbuckle his pants, but he beats me to it and has his pants and boxers are off in no time.

I moan loudly into his mouth as I feel his erection against the lips of my pussy. I arch my back in search of friction, and the tip of his cock brushes against my clit.

"I…want…more," I gasp. "_Please_..." My eyes roll back in my head as he begins to kiss his way down my chest again. "Edward…" I whine. I love the foreplay, I really do, but can't we just get on with the fucking already? My pussy throbs something fierce, I tell ya'.

Suddenly, he has my nipple in his mouth, his tongue swirling around the hard bud. He sucks it into his mouth and let's go with a pop. I squirm and moan and shout and groan. He repeats the process on the other nipple.

"More, baby, _please_…" I beg shamelessly, as he rises up my body again and slides his cock up and down my wet slit, but never near where I want him.

"What do you want, Bella? Tell me." He sucks the lobe of my ear into his mouth and whispers against my ear.

"I want your cock buried inside me," I barely manage to gasp out the words, before I feel all his weight from top of me…just gone. "Edward?" I say, confused.

"Condom, love." Oh yeah, right. Yeah. That thing. Right.

Within a second, he's back on top of me. And I'm staring into his lust filled eyes, his face still a little red and swollen from the fighting, and I brush my fingertips over his jaw. "Does it hurt?" I whisper.

"I've had worse." He smirks cockily at me. "And no, it doesn't hurt much right now." He bends lower, and I can feel his hands move as he wraps the condom on his cock. He says slowly against my lips, "I knew I wouldn't be able to do it for at least the next two days with that swollen jaw. So, that's why I sucked your hot little pussy into my mouth, you know. I simply couldn't wait that long to taste you."

I suck in a breath at his words. My hands wrap around his cock, and I align him at my entrance. "No more talking, Edward. Fuck me."

And fuck me he does. He thrusts inside me in one deep stroke and kisses me furiously. I gasp as I feel his entire length fill me, stretch me.

"Fine?" he asks, holding still.

"Amazing. You can go deeper. Just…just _fuck_ me, Cullen."

"God, Bella, I fucking love you," he says, and starts thrusting. In and out, in and out.

My nails scratch down his back, down to his ass, and I grab both cheeks. He starts to pump faster, harder, with sure strokes, wedging his knee under mine to get in deeper. He breaks the kiss in order to nip under my jaw, and I try as hard as I can to meet his thrusts.

The sounds coming out of his mouth are fucking sexy. While I'm sure I sound like someone being tortured. I scream, moan, and nearly fucking cry. He's doing everything right, and my God, it feels fantastic!

My eyes roll back again, and I let out a gasp as my body stiffens.

"Be—Be—Bella—" he stammers, beads of sweat building on his forehead. "I'm close. You almost there, _Carina_?"

"Yes," I scream, letting my orgasm take over. "Oh—" My words become caught in my throat, and I cry out again. My walls clench around him as I come.

He thrusts in one…two…three more times, and then comes inside me, inside the condom, whatever.

"_Tu sei bellissima, Bella,"_ he grunts. And that right there is when I decide that he needs to talk dirty in Italian the next time. _The next time…_

We both remain quite for a while, catching our breath. He pulls out of me and gets up, and I groan at the loss of contact. He mutters something about getting cleaned up, and I finally take off the robe fully, as it's already halfway down my shoulders.

I sit up a little, feeling the little ache in my pussy, but loving it all the same. A smile lights up my face, and I raise my hands above my head to stretch out my limbs. I go to the centre of his huge bed and snuggle under the sheets, suddenly tired. Today was a long day, and this touch of love, the physical proof of our bond, that's exactly what we both needed.

When Emmett had left, Edward had texted Alice to let her know that we wouldn't be able to make it to dinner tonight and to tell Esme that we were extremely sorry. Good thing we decided to stay in.

I feel the bed dip as Edward slides in beside me and winds his arms around my waist. I bury my face in his chest and take in a deep breath, my lungs, my heart, everything just about bursting with the love I feel for this man here.

We both are tightly wrapped around each other, our legs tangled, and Edward's face resting against my hair.

"I love feeling your hands on me. I don't know how I lived without your touch for seven years," I say, my voice muffled against his chest.

"Never again, baby, never again."

"You bet your ass never again," I say softly, kissing his chest and closing my eyes. "Goodnight, Mr. PussyEating Lips."

His chest rumbles with laughter. "Goodnight, my love. Sleep well."

And I know that whatever life may throw at us, we'll get through it. Because we're Edward and Bella, we get through the toughest obstacles. We have each other, and that's enough. For forever.

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**Finallyyy! The lemon is done *fist pumps* Tell me how it was? This is the one chapter I was so fucking nervous to post. Really, I need a lot of reassurance that I did them justice. Thoughts? And because my pre-reader got confused, nope, this is definitely not the end for these two!**

**It might be a little more than a week till the next update since I'm out of town currently. Hope this lemon made up for my future absence ;) But I'll try my hardest, coz you guys are just that awesome!**

**Till the next time *waves***

**Follow me on twitter: bellstarfics**


	19. Chapter 18: Lovin' It All

**Hey, guys! I know what you're thinking - where was the chapter this weekend? I swear I had it all ready, and then, my internet just stopped working. Now I've changed the connection and all that, so here's the chapter! Sorry for the delay.**

**Thank you soooo much for all the reviews and stuff. You people are the bestest!**

**Beta'd by the lovely Heather and Ange. Seriously, they're awesome sorts.**

**And pre-read by Jen and Phoebs. Lovely ladies who rock hard.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoyy:)**

**PS - All translations and gang slang in the end. If you still have any confusion, ask me :)**

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**Sometimes you love a person so much that you have to be numb to it. Because if we actually felt how much we loved them, it would kill us.**

**Chapter 18**

**Lovin' It All**

_Chicago, 2007_

"_You can't fucking do this to me, Edward!" he yells, his hands fisting in his hair as he stares desperately and furiously at me._

_I chuckle humorlessly and level him with a dark look. "I can do anything I like, motherfucker." I pick him up from the floor roughly, and as I shove him toward the gate, I realize how weak he really is at the moment. "But right now, I want you to fucking get out of my house and straighten yourself up."_

_He whimpers and clings to my legs as his knees collapse. "I really need a hit, man. Please," he begs. "No one will sell me shit. I don't have anything. This is the _last_ time, Edward, please."_

_He is really starting to piss me the fuck off. "I've heard all your shit before, you fanuk!" I yell and pick him up again by the collar. "Look what the cocaine has done to you! Think of your father and fucking clean yourself up, Jake." I rub my eyebrow with my finger, tired of his bullshit. If his father wasn't a friend of my dad's, I wouldn't breathe the same air as this motherfucker. _

_Suddenly, he rises to his full height and looks me in the eye, trying to intimidate me. I smirk. "I swear to fucking Christ, I'll go to the Feds with all your shit. I want my junk, and I want it _now_," he says._

_I laugh. "You, Jacob Black, seem to have grown balls." I pat his cheek menacingly. "Do whatever you want. But get the fuck outta' my face." I turn to Felix. "Take him away from here and to Billy's place. And for the love of God, tell Billy to keep his son locked in a fucking air-tight room."_

_About a month ago, Billy came to my dad begging him to do something for his very intelligent, attending the University of Chicago, but shit-faced son. Of course, Carlisle passed on the fucking honor of babysitting Jacob Black to me. _

_Felix holds him by the elbow and drags him out of the apartment. Jacob shouts, "I will fucking destroy you one day, Cullen! I swear to Christ, you'll pay for denying me my needs and fucking dumping me on that old motherfucker!" _

_But his real beef was that he couldn't be a part of this thing of ours. He wasn't a true Italian, and if you aren't a pure blood, you aren't shit to Volterra._

_One month later, Billy Black was killed by Alec for trying to contact the Feds against us. Needless to say, Jacob Black did care for the "old motherfucker" after all._

_Two years later, I heard news of Jacob Black sobering up and entering the FBI as a Federal Agent. He was always exceptionally intelligent, but how he managed this… True to his word, this man was the reason that five of our best, oldest capos were dead or behind bars._

_And for this, he was number one on EC's hit-list. _

_~TETB~_

I wake up to Bella placing open-mouthed kisses on my chest, and let me tell you, there's no other way a man would rather wake up. _Except maybe with my cock in her mouth…_

And almost like she can read my thoughts, that's exactly where she places her next kiss.

"Jesus," I gasp, my hand finding its way into her soft hair as she continues placing wet, open-mouthed kisses all along my length. I look down at her, and she looks fucking gorgeous with her brown hair splayed around her face like a curtain, her eyelashes almost touching her cheeks as her eyes look at my very hard cock. _And as much as I'm enjoying this…_ "Bella, you don't have to do this." I place a hand on her cheek to stop her.

She lifts her head to look at me, and I want to fucking whimper at the loss of contact, but I look straight into her eyes. "I know I don't have to," she says. "But I want to."

_Jesus, woman, let me be a gentleman for once! You're killing me here_. "Are you s-sure?" I stutter, trying to sound like the caring guy I am.

She rolls her eyes at me. "Don't act like you're not dying to have your cock in my mouth." I hiss at her words, and my self-control vanishes. She sweetly kisses below my navel. "And yes, I'm sure."

"You know me well, Miss Swan," I say, and place my hand to her head to brush the hair away from her face. Her kisses trail all the way up, and then all the way down.

"I'm about to get to know you better, Cullen." She winks at me and takes me into her mouth then lets me go and trails the kisses up, and back down again—she drives me fucking crazy. I place my hand back to her head, hoping it'd stay there—hoping my dick could stay in her mouth, but I have no such luck. She kisses up again and down again. She even bites my nipples, pulls them, while I feel her nipples rubbing against my chest.

"You're killing me." I groan.

She just giggles, and it's the most fulfilling thing to hear her just be…_happy_. With every kiss she places on me, she has a smile so big on her face. It's beautiful.

She kisses down my chest, deliberately rubbing her tits against my chest. It's the sweetest torture. I moan and squeeze her ass as she finally sucks the tip of my cock into her mouth. She begins to lick around, up and down my cock, and as she comes up, she scrapes her teeth over it.

She takes me deep into her mouth, and sweat begins to break out all over me. "Don't stop, baby, _ungh…_" I whimper as she sucks my cock, her hands now massaging my balls.

She takes me deep again, making my eyes roll back. "Bella...I'm gonna—" I try to push her away and yet she clamps on, sucking me back the deepest she can. I thrash wildly below her as I lose myself in her mouth.

Whilst panting, and wanting to kiss the ground she walks on, I grin down at her.

"May I ask what I did to deserve that?" I say, and grasping her by the shoulders, I lift her up, and she lays her head on my chest. A satisfied, almost proud smile graces her lips as she rests her chin on my chest to look at me.

"Just being you is enough," she says. And I want to give this woman the fucking world. Really, she's one of those people you couldn't find if you searched through generations. She grins and wiggles her eyebrows. "And also just because I could."

I laugh and hug her tightly to me, kissing the top of her head. "Thank you," I say. I trail my hands down her back and cup her wet, hot pussy. She squirms on top of me. "May I also return the favor, _Carina_?"

She shivers slightly, and without waiting for a response, I start stroking her wet slit. Since I'm going backward, I first directly encounter her opening, and seeing how wet she is, I insert a finger inside her. She begins to writhe above me, her tits pressed against my chest feel amazing as she moves in rhythm with my finger moving in and out of her.

"Oh, baby, yeah…" she moans. "Just like that – ugh – yes, Edward!"she screams when my other hand travels down her front, and I lightly pinch her clit.

"I love how wet you are for me," I whisper in her ear, as my left hand fingers her opening and my right teases her clit. She groans and arches off of me, and with a grace that's unreal, she's now straddling my waist sitting upright. I grin as her eyes close, and she presses her palms against my stomach.

"Ta-talk to me in…in…_ugh_…Italian, baby," she says, moving her hips in circular motion. She's fucking glorious! _My girl likes dirty Italian talk! Who knew?_

I insert another finger and rub her clit, thrusting my hips, desperate to find my own release. Again.

"_Mi piace il tuo stringendo stretto figa intorno alle mie dita_," I say, smirking as she clenches down hard on my fingers as soon as the words are outta' my mouth. I remove my right hand from her clit and use it to roll her nipples between my fingers. I then begin rubbing my thumb over her clit, with two fingers of the same hand still pumping in and out of her.

"Baby, I'm gonna –I'm gonna come," she pants, her hair sticking to her neck and chest, making her look like a fucking goddess. I can feel her walls clamping down on my fingers again and again, and I can tell she's close.

In a bold move, I insert a third finger inside her, and she throws her head back and rides my fingers, her moans going straight to my cock. Her tits bounce with each movement, and I pinch her nipples alternately, then roll them between my fingers.

With one last thrust of my fingers into her, she comes apart over me. "Oh, fuck. Oh _shit_. Jesus," she says, panting wildly, she collapses beside me as I slide my fingers out of her. "That was…" she breathes heavily, "Yeah, that was definitely one of the best orgasms I've had."

I smirk like the smug bastard I am and pull her into my side. "Well, I plan to give you many, many more such orgasms, even better, over time, sweet cheeks."

She grins as she turns to face me. "And I you, Mr. PussyEating Lips." She kisses me on my cheek, and then on my lips. It's sweet, not short, but sweet and fucking amazing. And she tastes fucking _delicious_.

I hear her stomach growl and pull away, laughing at her eye roll and slight blush. Only then do I notice that it's still night out. "What time is it?" I ask, getting up.

She lazily gets off the bed and pulls on her robe again. "It's just after 2 am," she says, tying her robe. "I'm fucking starving, so I'm gonna make something to eat. What do you want?"

I pull on my boxers and head over to the bathroom to relieve myself. "I'll have whatever you're making, love."

"Tuna sandwich it is." I hear her say as she almost runs toward the kitchen. I chuckle to myself, thinking, _this girl is far too adorable for her own good._

Right now, I think we're both in a good place emotionally. Both our families know everything, so there's nothing left to hide anymore, hence no uncertainty and tension in that particular area. As a couple, I think we're doing pretty damn good and going solid. We declared… _re_-declared our love for each other, we're both happy with where we stand, and we both know that our future lies with the other. I haven't really asked her to be my girlfriend in so many words yet. But it's pretty obvious that's what she is, isn't it? Maybe I'll still talk to her about it though, just in case there's any confusion on her part since there sure as hell is none on mine.

As for what the future holds, I already know that I'm going to ask her to marry me. It's only a matter of when that'll be, and according to me, the sooner, the better. We've been back together only a few weeks, but falling back into what we used to be as teenagers wasn't some big feet. And over time, our love has only strengthened, matured, and bloomed into something much, much more. But before I go down on one knee and all that, this shit with Jacob Black needs to be handled. And then the whole plan I have for Chicago… that's sort of taken a back seat with all that's been happening. But now that things are falling into place again, I'm going to get back on that soon enough.

_Speaking of Black…_ I need to call Santino and see what he's found out.

I pull up my boxers again, exiting the bathroom, and hunt for my phone around the room, finally finding it under the TV cabinet. I dial his number, knowing full well he's far from sleeping right now.

"Yo," he answers on the second ring.

I now begin hunting around for my pack of cigarettes. "Black," I say, getting straight to the point. I don't have time for pleasantries, and Santino sure as fuck doesn't expect me to be pleasant.

"Fucking _cazzo_," he curses. We all have pure hate for that man, and what we've planned for him… Let's just say he'd be lucky if he died before we catch up with him. He continues, "I have information on where exactly he stands in the FBI, who are his immediate bosses, and who are the easy links in there who can be tweaked for information."

I finally find my pack and light up a smoke. "_Bene_. Do we know who Black does his junk business with?" Oh yes, the man still deals.

"_Si_. It's the_ Borgarta_ in China Town. I've talked to them, and for our protection and $10,000, they'll do whatever we want them to."

I laugh at that. "_Babbos_ the bunch of 'em. They think we'll _pay_ them to work for us _and_ give our protection?"

He laughs along with me. "Exactly what I said." _Of_ _course he did. He's in my fucking crew after all._ "I told them that we'd give them our protection for long enough that everyone on the street knows to back off, and then they're on their own. I also told them that their half-assed demand for payment is as useless as pants on a hooker."

I chuckle. "Good. And what 'bout that chick?"

He sighs. "She won't fucking crack, Skip. We've tried five times now, but she won't utter a single word. I'll go over again with Enzo tomorrow."

I nod, even though I know he can't see me. Apparently, there's some chick that Black engages in sex with often, and the kind of ammo she has on him… fuck, they've made videos together! If we can get our hands on that, Black's ass will be mine a hundred percent.

"Keep working. _Hai fatto bene, Santino_," I say. "Now get some sleep or whatever the fuck you were doing before I called. See you tomorrow."

"_Grazie_," he says proudly, and in gratitude. "See you tomorrow."

I cut the line, stub the cigarette, and wander into the kitchen to see Bella gobbling up a sandwich. "Hey, why didn't you call me if they were done?" I ask, and take the other sandwich, followed by a kiss to her head.

She shrugs. "You were talking on the phone, and I didn't want to disturb you. Who was it?" I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her to my side, not wanting any distance between us.

"Santino," I answer. I don't want her to ask too many questions about my work. I'll be honest and answer her as much as I can, but I still want to keep it separate.

"Well, what did he want?" she presses.

"We talked about Black."

I eat my sandwich while she waits for me to elaborate. Except that I have no plans of doing so.

She huffs. "What about him?" she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Stuff," I say, my mouth full of bread.

She throws up her hands exasperatedly and turns to give me the stink eye. "I want to know what you plan on doing with Jacob, Edward. He's affected me too, and I want to be in on this."

I sigh, knowing that she has a valid point, but still not caring. She will not be a part of anything related to my work. Ever. "Look, Bella, I know you want in on this or whatever, but no, it's not happening. I'm keeping my work and you miles apart, so please don't argue with me on this."

She sighs. "You can't keep your work and your life here 'miles apart' as you put it. You are what you do, Edward. There's no way you can hope to brush off all your…Mafia…things… when you step in through that door every day."

As much as I wanted her to be wrong, as much as I wanted to say "of course it's possible!", I knew it wasn't. She was right. My work would always come home with me and she was a part of it whether I liked it or not. And this realization… it fucking gutted me.

"Well, then I'm going to keep you as separated from it as I can. The very thought of you being in the slightest of danger has my hackles rising, Bella. Don't you see how much you mean to me?" I beseech her with my eyes to understand and just drop it.

She starts, "Don't make this about –"

We're interrupted by the buzzing of the intercom. My eyes go wide, and my senses turn high-alert. _Someone's here at 2:30 at night? What the fuck?_

I motion for Bella to keep quiet and stay there. She nods and looks so terrified suddenly, that I just know now she _has_ to be kept separated from my work. There is no other way. I give her waist a reassuring squeeze and release her.

I take out my heat from one of the cabinet drawers in the kitchen and put it in the waistband of my boxers. I walk over to the living room and press down on the button.

"Yeah?" I say cautiously.

"Mr. Cullen, a lady is here to see you," the guard says.

My brows furrow in confusion. "Who is it?"

"It's Miss Natalia, Mr. Cullen."

My mouth goes dry. My pulse quickens. Images of broken headboards, sexy lingerie, rough fucking, and booty calls flood my mind.

_Fuck, this is not good. Bella's gonna flip the fuck out._

* * *

**Translations:**

**_Mi piace il tuo stringendo stretto figa intorno alle mie dita- _I like your tight pussy clenching around my fingers**

**___Hai fatto bene, Santino- _You did good, Santino**

**___Babbos- _idiots**

**_Bene_- good**

**_Grazie_- Thank you**

**_Cazzo_- asshole**

**Gang slang:**

**_Borgarta - _****A small gang of petty half-assed wise guys**

******Heat- gun**

******So there you have it! Give it to me, guys! Waiting here with my eyes glued to the computer for your reviews. Seriously, I'm kinda scared of y'all right now.**

******Till the next time *slowly slides away***

******Follow me on twitter: bellstarfics**


	20. Chapter 19: From The Get Go

**So, yeah, I'm not going to say much here. I feel like total shit for updating after almost a month. Trust me I do. But my life's just been so bloody busy, I barely have time to catch some sleep. Anyway, sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long!**

**A big, hearty, smooch filled and love filled welcome to aallll the new readers! Welcome to this ride.**

**And to all the old, awesome, great, totally perfect (yes, I'm sucking up to you guys) readers - you the best! I love every single one of you for loving the story the way you do. **

**Beta'd by the lovely Ange and Heather. Heart.**

**Pre-read by Jen and Phoebs, and I can't thank them enough for all their love. Heart again. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoyy:)**

* * *

**Memories are what warm you up from the inside. But they're also what tear you apart.**

**Chapter 19**

**From The Get Go**

The way he turned pale, the way his hands started shaking, and when I saw that bead of sweat trickle down the nape of his neck all the way to the curve of his ass… I knew in that very moment who Natalia must have been.

But I told my brain to shut up. I was…_am_ in denial.

What do they say? Yes, _ignorance is bliss_.

I walk up behind him, and I can feel the tension rolling off of him in waves. I know he won't reply to the guard. I bend forward slightly and say into the mouthpiece, "Send her in."

Edward's finger flies off the answer button on the intercom like it burned him. His eyes snap to mine, and he looks positively terrified. "Bella…" he starts.

I simply turn on my heel and walk into the bedroom, not acknowledging him. I pick up his sweats and a t-shirt, and walk back into the living room, only to see him standing in the same position.

"Put some clothes on," I say, handing them to him. He hesitantly takes them from me, his eyes searching my face for any clue of what I'm feeling inside. Once, I used to be an open book. But soon I realized that you let people see what you actually feel, and they'll target your weakness like the vultures they are. So, I perfected my poker face. "I'll be in the kitchen. Let me know when you're done talking to…"

I don't continue. I can't. Clearing my throat, I nod and turn away once again.

This time, he grips my wrist tightly and pulls my back to his chest. I can feel his chest expand and relax against my back as he breathes laboriously, and my own breaths start to come out slightly faster. He rests his forehead on my shoulder, and his arm encircles my waist, pulling me impossibly closer to him. My eyes clamp shut, and I can feel his long eyelashes as they flutter against my bare skin.

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry," he says, his hot breath sending tingles across my spine.

_Sorry? He's fucking _sorry_?_ I take in a shaky breath and slump against him. "Did you call her here tonight? Your booty call, Edward? Is this your weekly thing, and you just forgot to cancel on her?"

He suddenly releases me and turns me around to face him. He holds my biceps and shakes me slightly, his eyes wide with surprise. "No! How the fuck can you even think that, Bella? I didn't call her here! I don't even know why the fuck she's here all of a sudden. I love you, _Carina_, I love _you_. She's _nothing_. She never was."

My vision begins to blur as I start shaking from head to toe in fury. My fists clench, and I fucking explode. "How the fuck can_ I_ think that? _Me_? You have a fucking slut walking up here right this second, and you're asking me how the fuck can_ I_ think that? And if you didn't call her, then _what the fuck_ is she doing here?!"

He tries to hold my arms again, but I thrash against him. I can't bear to look in his apologetic eyes, and see that…that fucking guilt in there. I want to break down and sob my heart out so bad right now, but I hold it in. I'm not a pathetic damsel in distress.

"I don't know why she's here! I didn't call her, I would never. Bella, baby, please try to understand! She… she was just…just–" He's choking on his words, and I can see that he's ashamed, embarrassed, but I want him to say it.

"She was just what?" I say, staring into his eyes, waiting.

"I…she…" He takes a deep breath. "She was just a random fuck now and then." I wince at the words. "It was way before we met again, Bella. And I swear to Christ I haven't touched another woman since I saw you in that parking lot. I fucking swear on my _life_ I haven't, baby."

Suddenly, the imperfections on the pristine marble floor are interesting as museum artwork to me. I take a deep breath and nod, still looking down. I cross my arms over my chest and reign in my anger. "Yeah, no, I know you… I mean, I _hoped_ you hadn't… been with other women since we've been together."

"I haven't," he swears again, and I nod. Again.

Of course, I know that Edward wasn't living in abstinence before I came along, and I don't judge or blame him. Hell, I've been with a few men myself, so I'd be a hypocrite if I were to lay it on thick with him. But the point is, his booty call is _here_. And I have no mind whatsoever of seeing a woman who thinks she can waltz in _my_ Edward's building whenever the fuck she wants to. He's been with a lot of women, but that doesn't mean I need to see them and think "Oh hey, you've had my boyfriend's dick inside you."

"I don't-I don't like that she's here, Edward," I whisper, tracing patterns on the floor with my toe. "I mean, I'm not mad at you that you slept with other women while we were apart." I shrug. _Okay, I'm a little mad, but I know it's irrational. It just comes with the girlfriend territory._ "It'd be quite… well …abnormal if you hadn't, honestly, in all these seven years. But I just… I don't like that she's in our home." I look up at him as I say this. "I don't like that I have to see the woman who's touched every part of you, repeatedly. I can't take it."

He takes a step toward me, but keeps his hands to himself. "Bella, sex with all these other women meant absolutely nothing to me. Honestly, I was drunk out of my mind half the time to go through it with a woman that wasn't you. You were always present in the back of my mind, Bella, _always_." He takes my hand and places it over his heart. "She may have touched my body repeatedly, but you're the only one who's ever touched my heart. It's yours…it's _been_ yours since we were five. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you, Edward," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. And I mean it. I trust him blindly, completely, but I know his lifestyle, and I can't help that little seed of insecurity that creeps into my head. But in the end, I do trust him. 'Cos, if you're in a relationship, then you gotta trust the person first and foremost, everything comes later.

He sighs, relieved, and engulfs me in a hug. "Thank you, Bella, thank you. I won't ever break that trust, I promise." I nod against his chest and squeeze his waist tighter. "I love you, baby."

"Hold me tighter, Edward," I whisper. He tightens his hold around me, and I feel like I'm drowning in my man; not an inch of space is between us, but I won't have it any other way. The tighter he holds me, the more the negative thoughts seem to seep out of my pores.

And then the doorbell rings.

"Motherfucker," he curses under his breath and releases me, running a hand through his hair in agitation. He hesitantly looks me in the eye through his lashes and stutters, "I should…probably…g-get that."

I bob my head a few times like a chicken. "Yeah, no, yeah – you sho-should get that."

He sighs, quickly puts on his clothes, and turns. I hold his wrist just like he did mine and, though I can't yank him back, I give it a little tug. He turns around. "Yeah?" he says.

"I love you too, Edward."

He smiles so big, it's fucking beautiful, lights-up-the-room beautiful. He kisses me on the forehead and says, "I'll be right back."

I fidget with my fingers as I stand a few feet behind Edward, hidden from someone looking inside, but I can still see every movement with clarity as Edward opens the door to… _fuck me, she's gorgeous!_

My jaw hangs open as I see who I'm guessing is Natalia. Her legs are muscular yet feminine in a denim mini skirt, her waist is just the perfect size in a red corset, and her tits aren't huge and neither are they perky. She's the perfect 36-24-36 with long brown hair hanging loose all the way to her hips, and her face a beautiful heart shape.

And she has _dimples_.

I fucking hate her.

My hands clench into fists and my nails dig into my palm as she runs a finger along Edward's chest, her dimples etched into her pale skin as she beams up at him. "Edward," she breathes, "how have you been, _ciccino_?"

What. The. Fuck.

The bitch is Italian?

"What do you want, Natalia?" he snaps at her in a cold voice. I can just imagine the blank, uninterested stare he must be giving her. _Go Edward!_

She throws her head back and laughs. "Look at'chu, baby. All dominating tonight, huh." She winks at him. In the background, I choke on air. _Edward is into this kinky shit?_ "I can't remember you ever being interested in the kink, though." _Oh, thank God._ "But I'm all for it, of course." _Of fucking course._

I breathe a sigh of relief. And then resume my chant of _whore, slut, desperate bimbo, fucking bitch, I'll cut her off._

"Get outta' my face," Edward says and grips her wrist, wrenching her hand away from his chest. "And where'd you get the fucking guts to prance into my apartment on your own fucking will? You, Natalia, are going to forget this address. Whatever we had, it's over. I don't ever want to see you again. _Capisce?_"

This time, when she realizes how serious he is, her eyebrows furrow in confusion and her whole stance changes. She points a finger at him. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

And just like that, Edward's attitude changes completely as well. He stands to his full height, and his back muscles ripple as he clenches his fist. "Don't you fucking dare talk to me like that," he shouts. She cringes at his decibel and takes a step back. He takes a step toward her. I just stand there paralyzed. "And I'll break that little finger of yours if you ever point it in my direction again."

She looks scared, but puts on a mask of courage. "I'll talk to you however the fuck I want to," she says, raising her chin in defiance.

Edward laughs this hollow, menacing laugh, causing me to flinch and Natalia to blanch. "You have a fucking death wish, don't you?" he says, and holds her jaw in his hands. I know he won't go as far as actually hurting a woman, but he's clearly not in his right senses.

As much as I hate the bitch, I don't want to see her with a black eye. Unless I'm the one delivering it, of course. I walk up to Edward and place a hand on his sweaty back. "Edward," I say, "let her go."

He blinks, drops his hand and takes a step back. I rub my palm across his lower back in assurance. He rubs his eyebrow with the back of his thumb, then rubs his face, and then mutters something Italian.

I turn to Natalia, ready to give her a death stare that will, hopefully, freeze her on the stop. But what I see on her face, it causes _me_ to freeze.

She has a soft smile on her lips, and her eyes hold…apology? "You must be Bella," she says, smiling in my direction.

Edward's head snaps up at that and my eyebrows are lost somewhere in my hairline, I'm pretty sure. "Keep her name outta' your mouth," Edward growls at her. I squeeze his bicep, telling him that it's okay.

"Uh… yeah," I say. "And how do you know that, may I ask?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Edward talked a lot about you in his sleep, and when he…came, he used to say your name sometimes. You're really beautiful," she says and extends her hand toward me. "It's nice to meet you."

I look at it until she drops it. "Thanks, but I'm sorry I can't say the same about you."

She nods, shrugs and says, "Take care of him, he's special. I would know that well in all these years." And then she gives me this I-know-him-best smirk.

I bristle at that, my hackles rise and my teeth clench. "You don't fucking tell me to take care of _my_ boyfriend. I know how special he is, and I don't need _you_ telling me anything." I jab my finger at her to emphasize my point.

She raises her hands in surrender. "Just sayin', darlin'." Then she turns to Edward and says, "So I guess this really is it. Can I have a goodbye kiss?"

_The fucking nerve…_

I tense beside Edward, but don't say anything, waiting to hear his response. "No, Natalia, you cannot have a fucking goodbye kiss. _Se si desidera comunque mantenere il vostro lavoro presso _Il Cigno_, è meglio lasciare ora."_

All I got out of that sentence was _Il Cigno_, but it changes something in her as she nods and gives me one last look, and then trots away on her sky-high heels.

Edward and I don't say anything for a long time as we sit in the bedroom after that. He's lying on the bed with his hands folded under his head, and my head rests on his chest. After she went, he just took my hand and led me to the bedroom. No words were exchanged, and we just ended up snuggling together. Naked.

About ten minutes later, I can't take the silence anymore. "Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"It's four in the morning." I say the first thing that comes to my mind. The eerie silence is making me goo-gootz.

"It is?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Okay," he says.

I huff and cross my arms across his chest, staring up at him as I rest my chin on the back of my hands. He looks down at me and brushes my hair back softly. "Are you okay?" I ask him.

"Me?" he says disbelievingly. "I should be the one asking you that, love."

_Well then why didn't you? _

I wanna say this, but I don't. I can tell he feels guilty, and right now, I don't want to spread salt on his wounds. So I shrug.

He sighs and sits up, and grabbing me by the shoulders, pulls me into his lap. "We're gonna be fine, Bella. All these women, all this Mafia bullshit, all the money, they mean shit to me next to you. But… baby, I need you to understand that Volterra is my work, it's who I am. I can't get out, even if I want to, and…"

"And you don't even want to get out," I complete for him.

"Are you running for the hills yet?" he asks me. The vulnerability that I see on his face renders me speechless. This high and mighty Boss Man, the Skip, is so uncertain for the woman he loves. How can she not love him back?

I kiss his cheek. "Never."

He nods and grins. "Well, that's good. 'Cos, you know… I have something really important to ask you."

"Oh really?" I ask, and he kisses my forehead. "Then go ahead, ask me."

"Not like this. I need to prepare and shit, give me some time." He has this crazy mischievous glint in his eyes, and he looks… high for some reason. His cheeks are flushed, his eyelids are a little droopy, and he seems to be a little out of it.

"Did you take a hit?" I raise an eyebrow at him. But his happiness is so contagious, that I can't keep the smirk off my face.

He laughs and hugs me. "No, I didn't. I'm just… _really_ happy that you're still here."

I let out a contented sigh as I rest my head against his chest. "I'm really happy too, Edward."

"Now since we're both so happy, let's make each other _happier_," he says. At first, I don't understand what he means, but then I feel his erection poking my thigh.

I burst out laughing at that. "A certain part of you is definitely _very_ happy, Cullen."

He flips me around and pins me under him on the bed. His palms rest on the bed beside my face as he props himself up on his arms. He stares into my eyes and then buries his nose in the crook of my neck, breathing me in. I scrape my nails over the small hair on the nape of his neck and kiss his head.

"You're everything, Bella. You're my life, my soul, my home, my love," he says, and softly starts kissing his way down my chest. Tears spring to my eyes, and I take in a shaky breath. _Damn this man and his unexpected words. Bloody sweet talker._

He reaches the swell of my breasts, and I take in a sharp breath as he begins to place open-mouthed kisses all over my flesh. He takes a nipple into his mouth and sucks hard on it.

And hence begins the sweet torture.

He kisses, licks, nibbles, every inch from my waist up, and I go crazy. I'm panting, moaning, and my pussy throbs so fucking bad. This man is merciless. His grin makes me tremble. My skin is hot and sensitive to touch. I feel a flush take over every inch of me.

Dear God, he's pushing my knees apart, now his eyes are on mine as he lowers his mouth and flicks his tongue out to tease my clit. I jerk and cry out, so turned on that I can barely tolerate the sensation. Two fingers push up between my folds, from bottom to top, where he stops and circles them against my clit with just the right amount of pressure.

"Oh, fuck!" I whine, and my hands cup my tits and pull and pinch the tips while he blows into my pussy and fingers me to the point of shaky limbs and dry lungs. My muscles tighten as I slip my hands down my torso to the top of his head.

"Ah!" I gasp when the intensity building up inside of me becomes too much and push him away only to pull him back. "I'm gonna come." My voice wavers. "Edward, yes, right there. Don't stop—oh, God!" He uses his hands to push my legs apart and sucks my clit so good that my chest arches into the air and my eyes lose focus.

"Like this? _Ti piace quando mi succhi il clitoride così, eh_?" he teases arrogantly, and continues to do exactly what he knows drives me absolutely insane.

He's bringing out the Italian guns, and there's no hope for me. I cry out. I can't help it—it's too good. The heels of my palms move to bury deep into my eyes as I shout and cry and scream so many different things I will never remember. His fingers are back inside of me, pushing and pulling, and I feel my walls clench around them tightly.

"Come on, baby," he encourages the arrival of my climax.

Moments later, it comes, and I lose every ounce of self-control I had as my nails dig into his shoulders, and I shriek out into the room so loudly that I feel like a banshee. My skin is molten lava melting over spent muscles and brittle bones as I come down, heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through my veins.

With swift moves and strong flexing muscles, he lies next to me and tilts my chin toward him for a kiss. His eyes lock with mine, and I turn into him and press my lips to his several times, refusing to break our connection. I can still feel him hard and hot against my lower abdomen as he rocks gently against me and clenches his jaw tight.

Sated and still high on Edward, I roll him onto his back and bite one of his nipples. He yelps in surprise, and I giggle softly. To apologize, I slick my tongue over it, and he shivers beneath me full of a deep desire I want to claim as my own. I lick, kiss, and nibble my way down his chest, the taut abs above his belly button, and down further to his very long and very hard cock.

I use one fingertip to gather up the tiny drops of pre-cum that have seeped out of the tip and draw them down the underside of his shaft, stopping at his balls and then taking them into my palm and squeezing gently. His mouth opens slightly, a quick intake of breath when I touch him, and his chest begins to heave up and down.

He stops me and pulls me up. I look at him in confusion, and he shakes his head, mouthing, "Not tonight."

His hands rub up and down my back with his arms holding me against his chest as close as possible. I feel his heart racing under my own, rapid beats that pump sizzling hot blood beneath electric buzzing flesh.

"You're amazing," I say into his shoulder.

I feel his lips smile against the side of my neck as he snorts, "You got that backwards." He turns us so that he hovers above me, eyes warm and watchful as he slowly lowers his weight onto me. "Every inch of you is amazing, Bella." He smiles with a slight shake of his head.

My fingers gather his hair. He leans into my hand and kisses the inside of my wrist. "I mean it."

I sigh and feather my fingertips down the side of his face. "I know you do."

His eyes never leave mine as he kisses me firmly but tenderly on the lips. His mouth moves over mine slowly, and I find myself pushing forward into a kiss that starts a push and pull between us until he draws away, taking my bottom lip with him between his teeth. I don't even realize I'm rocking my pussy against his cock until he thrusts forward in response, causing my eyes to roll back as he circles two fingers onto just the right spot between my thighs.

"Edward…" I whimper with one arm around his neck and the other clutching the pillow behind my head. We kiss and tease until he slides into me, until his hips touch mine and I start to pant heavily.

He stays still, staring down into my eyes as I gaze up at him, and with one look, we both say the exact same thing: I love you. Sweat builds between us while he slowly moves in and out, hands pressed to the bed on either side of my head. I feel a strong link form from his eyes to mine and together we make our way toward climax.

He's heavy with muscle and weight and anchors my lithe body to the bed so that I can't follow that ultimate high up into the clouds. I feel so precious in his arms, so loved and desired, while I watch his jaw tense and his arms flex and his slow pace pick up into faster thrusts. I am so fucking close to coming that I feel like a rubber band that's about to snap.

And yet we're still unsatisfied, still unable to stop touching and thrusting and kissing. He steals the breath from right out of my lungs, and in return I take the last bit of his willpower. I feel triumphant as he shivers and shudders and trembles above me, hips driving into mine as he empties inside the condom.

And it's at that precise moment, mouths open and eyes wide as we simultaneously come, that Edward Cullen has taken over everything in me. In that moment, I give myself to him fully, completely, and now, there's no turning back. Somehow, this feels final in a way I've never felt tied to a person before. In this moment, I know that I'm in hook, line and sinker.

Edward gives me a lazy smirk and collapses beside me, but still keeps a hold on my hand. He starts to say something when his phone begins to ring.

"Fuck!" he shouts. "Can't I get_ one_ moment of peace?!"

I roll my eyes and hand him his phone from the nightstand. On seeing the number, his eyebrows furrow and he immediately sits up.

"Jasper?" he says. "What's up?

I watch as his eyes widen and snap to mine. My heart, which was just beginning to slow down, now starts beating so fast. Fuck, I don't think I can take any more drama today.

"Alice is pregnant?!" he screeches.

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**Translations:**

**_Se si desidera comunque mantenere il vostro lavoro presso _Il Cigno_, è meglio lasciare ora - _If you still wanna keep your job at _Il Cigno_, it's best you leave now.**

**_Ti piace quando mi succhi il clitoride così, eh_? - You like when I suck your clit like that, huh?**

**This chapter was super long! 1000 words more than the rest of them. You still love me, yea? *smiles goofily* And about the cliffie... next chapter coming up soon, so don't hate, people!**

**IMPORTANT:**

**Okay, so a lot of you guys have beef with Edward 'cos he called Natalia 'donna' in the 3rd chap, and then he called Bella 'donna' in some other chapter. I just wanna clear it out, that 'donna' is an Italian word which essentially means 'woman' or 'girl', depending on how you use it. It DOES NOT mean 'whore', 'slut' or anything of that sort, so Edward isn't being an asshole to Bella. It's perfectly alright to call a woman 'donna'. This Italians are big on their gestures and terms of ****endearment. They really like to show all that love. So, these things just slip out from our Italian Mobward's sexy mouth. **

**Thank you sooo much for reading, and leave me a review down here! Even if it's to chew me out on how I've been a bitch about my updates. You guys make my day with all your words. Trust me, you do.**

**Till the next time...*bows and then looks around at the empty hall* I still have readers, right? **


	21. Chapter 20: Someone Like You

**Hey, you lovely people! Thanks for all the amazing reviews, and the constant support, love and encouragement you give to this story. It's beyond amazing! To all those who add this story to their alerts and favorites but don't review, I'd like to ask you to take out a minute and let me know your thoughts about this little story 'o mine. It really makes all the difference! But neverthless, thank you so much for reading it. **

**Okay, so as you can see, the chapters are getting way longer. That'll be the usual length from now on, unless I don't have much to say. Then it'll be back to 3500 words.**

**Thanks so much to Heather and Ange for betaing this!**

**And much thanks to Phoebe and Jennifer for pre-reading.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoyy :)**

* * *

**I've heard this life is overrated, but I hope that it gets better as we go **

**Chapter 20**

**Someone Like You**

"It's…it's –" I want to say it's okay, that it'll work out. But I know it's not okay. And I don't know if it'll work out. I say it anyway. "It's okay, Al. Everything will work out, you'll see. Just…just stop crying, Alice."

She wails and clings tighter to me. "We're so fucked, Bella. This is not what I need-not what _we_ need, Bella, all of us." She hiccups. "And we had sex _one _time _one_ month ago, for fuck's sake! He hasn't even touched me since that night our dirty little secret came out." I wince at her words. "Jasper must have like, super sperms or something." She hiccups again. "We're so fucked." And then she starts wailing again.

I sigh and hold her tighter, rocking us both on Jasper's bed, and will myself to keep my eyes open. After Jasper called Edward at five this morning, we rushed to his penthouse and found them both in a complete mess. Alice was shocked with the pregnancy test still in her hand, staring at it like it would disappear if she stared long enough; Jasper was pulling at his hair and pacing, looking exactly like his brother. The moment we entered, Jasper and Edward retreated to his study-cum-office and banged the door shut; they've been in there ever since. Alice and I ended up in Jasper's bedroom after she threw up, and then she started crying; she's been crying ever since.

"But that's not even the worst part," she says after a while. Her crying has receded to a sniffling level, and she sounds almost human again. "The worst part is that we'll be raising a child in this atmosphere, surrounded by guns and drugs, by uncertainty, insecurity, and fear. Fear of losing your life, or worse, the life of someone you love." She takes in a shaky breath and shakes her head. "My child will have the worst life, B."

I sigh and feel my throat close up; my eyes begin to sting when I imagine the fate of my own child when Edward and I decide to have one. I lock away my personal issues right now and rub Alice's back in reassurance. "But think about it this way – your child will want for nothing. The baby's going to have everything, and you won't even have to work a single day! You can spend all your time with your baby, go out, have fun, and not worry about anything. This is going to be great, Al!"

She looks at me like I've lost my mind. "Have you completely lost it, Bella? This is going to be_ great_?"

I bite my lip and suppress a sigh. What's the point in giving her false hopes? We know the truth, everyone does. "Okay, yes, I know I was rambling stupid shit. It's going to be tough, but I'll be there for you every step of the way." I squeeze her hands in reassurance. "Not just me, but Carlisle and Esme are going to be there to guide you. It won't be that bad. And the boys? Alice, Jas and Edward will protect you and the baby with their _lives_, and so will I."

Her bottom lip trembles as she stares at me with glassy eyes and then throws her arms around my neck and starts sobbing again. "You're my best friend, Bella. I love you so fucking much. I think I should just get married to you, and we'll have the baby and you can be this totally awesome mom, and I can clean the house. Will you marry me, Bella? Huh? Will you turn gay for me, Isabella Swan?"

My hands fall to the side, and my face scrunches up in confusion. _What the fuck is wrong with her? Is she on crack? _I hear snickering and look up to see Edward and Jasper standing in the doorway. I give them a terrified, _what the fuck is going on?_ look and point at Alice's back and mouth, "Help me, assholes."

Jasper smirks at me, but thankfully says, "Hey, Alice, can we talk?"

She sighs into my neck and releases me slowly. She looks at me, wiping her tears, and I see that her face is red with embarrassment. "Uh… I blame that shit that just came out of my mouth on pregnancy hormones." She waves her hand dismissively and then gets up. "I still love you, Bella. And really, thank you for everything." She squeezes my hand and turns to Jasper. "Let's talk."

I stand to leave, but Jasper says that he wants to take her out on a drive, so we could just wait here for a while or we could go back to Edward's apartment. I'm ready as all hell to get a proper sleep in nearly twenty-four hours now, cuddled in Edward's arm in our bed, but Alice gives me this pleading look and mouths, "Stay here". I sigh and nod. So much for my sleep…

It's when Jasper is walking out of the room that my eyes zero in on his ass, and I notice a prominent bulge in the back pocket of his jeans. My hands fly to my mouth to suppress a gasp of shock, and my wide eyes immediately turn to Edward. He nods, giving me a wink and a smirk.

Wow… Jasper is… _Really?_

As soon as we close the door on Jasper and Alice, I turn around with my hands on the closed door and my mouth hanging open. "Jasper is going to propose to Alice _tonight_?" I squeal, waiting for him to confirm my suspicions.

He laughs and nods. "Yep. He loves her, she loves him, they're having a baby, and after the initial freak out, Jasper was totally floored at the idea of being a father." He shrugs. "I guess once it finally sunk in, he didn't mind it as much."

"Yeah," I drawl, "but what about the fact that he and Alice haven't even been on speaking terms since… you know…" I trail off, waving my hand about, not really wanting to say Jacob's name and remind myself of Alice and my... little lapse in judgment. "How is he ready to marry her now all of a sudden? Does he even trust her?"

Edward scrunches up his nose and stifles a yawn. I smile at his adorable face and make googly eyes at him. He stretches his arms above his head, starts cracking his neck and knuckles, and then answers me, "He's loved her since that day he saw her at _Il Cigno_ for the first time. Really, the fucker was a goner the minute he laid eyes on her." He snorts and starts toward the kitchen. I walk behind him like there's a lead rod connecting us, making me move just as soon as he does. "He _was_ pissed at her, but after dinner last night at my parents', Jas apparently got over it completely. He said some mushy shit about how seeing her interact with the parents made him realize she was _the one_, and all that." He sits down in the barstool and finally turns to look at me.

I snap my fingers and say, "Just like that? He forgave her in a minute after being pissed at her for weeks?"

He sighs and opens his arms for me. I walk up to him and settle down in his lap, letting out a contended sigh as I feel his thumbs drawing circles on my belly. "No, Bella, _not_ just like that. You girls have been in our lives for barely a month now after seven years, and honestly, neither of us has been happier than we are now. Jasper and Alice… they had a little bump. But he still loved her… still _loves_ her, and now that she's carrying his baby, he simply sees no reason to wait around to pop the question."

But underneath all these explanations, I can see there's a different reason. I can tell that he's omitting something. And then it hits me. "It's not just this, is it, Edward?"

"What –"

He's going to defend Jasper, but I interrupt him. "He _has _to marry her, doesn't he? All these laws you Mafia people have… he can't have a child without marrying her first, can he? The child would be deemed illegitimate. Am I right?"

He takes a deep breath. "Bella –"

And then another thought strikes me. I gasp and my eyes go wide. "She's not Italian, Edward." I whip my head backward and see his eyes pinched shut. "She isn't a pure blood, and he isn't allowed to marry anyone _but_ an Italian woman. What the _fuck _is he doing proposing to her?" I jump down from his lap, panicked. "Oh God, we have to stop him from crushing her hopes." I pace the room. "Edward, what happened? Did you guys forget that she wasn't Italian, huh?" I let out a nervous chuckle and hold up my hand. "It's okay if you forgot. I'll just – just call Jasper and remind him. Yeah, I'll –"

He takes me by the elbow and spins me around to face him. "Stop freaking out, Bella! Yes, we know she's not Italian, and yes he _has_ to marry her."

_I'm confused._ "Then what –"

He shakes his head at me. "Let me finish, _Carina_." I nod. "Rules change with time, every Family alters them every now and then, and certain things aren't set in stone. Baby, everything that you read on Wikipedia isn't how it truly works anymore." I blush at that and look down. _Sue me for being prepared a hundred percent before committing myself to this life!_ He tilts my chin up and smirks at me. "He _can_ marry anyone who's not Italian, the mob won't shun him. But, their child won't be a pure blood, so when he grows up, he won't be eligible to stand as a made man. That's about it. And really, we don't even know if they're having a boy yet. What if they end up having a brood of girls?"

"But he's marrying her because he has to, not because he _wants _to," I say.

Edward sighs and pulls me to his chest. "How many times do I have to tell you until you believe me, baby? He loves Alice. Yes, he's supposed to marry her, but he's not doing it out of any obligation. He's ready for this."

"I really do hope he is," I say, and wrap my arms around his waist. Suddenly, the exhaustion comes crashing down on me, and I start to sway in his arms. I yawn loudly. "I'm tired. Imma go sleep, yeah?"

I hear him chuckle and then he picks me up bridal style, carrying me to what I assume is the guest bedroom. He lays me down and kisses my forehead. "Rest, love. You've had one hellu'va day."

I nod and curl up on my side. I still have one question I need an answer to though. "Edward?"

"_Si, Carina?_"

I smile involuntarily at how he makes two little Italian words sound so sweet. "When we have a baby, he won't be a part of this thing of yours. Even though he'll be a pure blood, he won't be a part of Volterra. Promise me that." Edward comes to sit beside me and holds me by the shoulder, pulling me up in a sitting position. "What?" I grumble, rubbing my sleepy eyes.

As I open my eyes to really look at him, I see his completely stunned face. "Bella, you're not Italian," he states. "Are you?" He shakes me when I don't answer. "Answer me, Bella, this is really fucking important. Are you Italian?"

I blink as I try to focus in my sleep induced haze. "Uh…yeah. My grandfather's name was Charles Luciano, and my dad's name was Charlie Luciano until he married my mom. She was against all the Italian customs for some reason… I don't exactly remember… something to do with her abusive Italian father. All I know is that they changed their name to Swan to hide from her father." I scrunch up my face in confusion as I look at his shocked face. "Didn't I ever tell you that?"

"No, you didn't. You're _Italian_?" he asks, almost like he still doesn't believe it.

"Yeah, I mean, I am technically. But I don't have an Italian last name, my parents don't talk in Italian, neither do Rose and I. I don't have an Italian bone in my body, it's just a technicality. It's weird I never mentioned it before…" I shrug and wave my hand dismissively.

"Holy fuck," he curses. "Holy fucking shit, Bella. Our son can be a made man, he can be a part of Volterra. Holy _shit_, I –"

"What did I just say, Edward?" I yell. His eyes snap to mine, and he looks at me with a confused face. I breathe deeply and shake off my anger, the sleep now long forgotten. "Edward, I _just_ asked you to promise me that if we have a son, he's not being a part of Volterra. I don't… I don't want this life for my child okay? He can become a tattoo artist for all I care, but he's not becoming a fucking made man!"

He shrugs.

He fucking _shrugs_.

"It's not in our hands, Bella. He'll become a part of Volterra if he wants to, not because _I_ want him to. He can become a doctor if he wants to, or he can become a Don."

I splutter as I reply. "He-he-what-no-NO… NO, Edward, he cannot become a fucking Don!" I throw my hands in the air as I say this. "My child will NOT –"

He silences me with a kiss. His lips crash to mine, and he forces his tongue inside my mouth. I moan when I feel his hands cradle my face, and his hot breath makes my skin sizzle all over. I don't even know when I moved, but I'm suddenly straddling his lap. My hands fist his hair, and I pull his head back, panting against his mouth, "Our son will not be a part of this."

He chuckles, his breathing just as hard as mine from our rough kiss, and in turn, curls his fingers around the nape of my neck, tilting my head back forcefully, and starts kissing down my neck. "Our… son… isn't even in… this world… yet," he says between kissing and nipping at my flesh. I groan loudly as he sucks below my ear, I yelp when he lightly bites the skin, and I moan when he licks and kisses it.

_What were we arguing about again?_

I yank his head up and start nipping at his jaw, his neck, his Adam's apple. God, how I love this jaw…

"Jesus, Bella, are you trying to pull all my hair out?" he complains, followed by a moan, as I pull his head farther back for better access down his neck, placing wet, open-mouthed kisses. His scent is the most concentrated right here, and it makes me crazy with desire.

His hands leave my hair, and all of a sudden, he just rips my shirt down the middle into two. I freeze in shock and look down at my thin t-shirt now hanging open down the middle. My eyes snap up to his, and I see a cocky as fuck smirk on his face. "You're an animal," I state matter-of-factly.

He just pushes the shirt off my body and sucks my bottom lip, then my upper, and then traces my lip with his tongue. "You love it, baby," he says and winks at me.

I blink.

And then I push him down on the bed and climb on top of him. "I love absolutely everything about you, Edward Cullen," I say as I slowly pull down his sweats, and then his boxers, while he pulls down my shorts and then unclasps my bra and fondles with my breasts. His cock springs free and the intense need, the raw desire that was present in our kiss zips through my every vein like current.

Right now, I don't want the sweet lovemaking. I want rough, passionate, mad and pure fucking.

I slide down his torso and take his head into my mouth. "Bella," he breathes out. Swirling my tongue around his head, I steer clear of the pre-cum. I pull back and collect his pre-cum with my middle finger. His eyes are trained on my every movement, and I stare into them as I spread his pre-cum on my lips. "Fuck, baby," he groans, and bucks his hips in the air.

I moan loudly as I lick off his juice, closing my eyes and fondling my nipples, then his balls as I continue to lick him off my lips. "Jesus, Bella," he moans as I tug on his balls. "Take me in your hot mouth, baby, _please_," he begs. My eyes, heavy with lust, slowly open, and I lower my head as I finally take all of him into my mouth.

I swirl my tongue around his cock, flatten my tongue on its underside as I lick right up to his head, all the while my hands never leave his balls. I hollow out my cheeks as I suck him off and pump whatever I can't take in. I bob my head up and down, encouraged by his moans of pleasure and the occasional cuss, as I feel his cock swell and his balls tighten. I know he's about to come, so I pull my head back.

"Wha-what?" he pants out, looking at me in confusion. "Why the fuck did'ju stop?"

I smirk at him as I place my hands on his chest and straddle his torso. "I want you to come inside me, baby," I say as I kiss him on the lips. I lift my bottom up, and this time when I come down, I adjust myself so that his cock is right at my center. He growls into my mouth as I move above him and wet his cock with my juices. I slide him over my opening, but don't take him in, moving down again and rubbing him against my clit.

He growls again, and his hands squeeze my ass. He breaks the kiss and looks at me with dark eyes. "You better fucking ride me right now, baby, or I won't be responsible for my actions," he says, rubbing his hand over my ass and cocks an eyebrow.

_Fuck me!_ I groan loudly when I realize he's going to spank me. But well… I'm not really into the whole spanking thing, so I reach down and remove his hand from my ass cheek and place it over my throbbing center. I bend my head right next to his ear and whisper, "I'm going to ride you so fucking good, baby, that you won't remember your own _name_."

And then I lift my ass up in the air and come down on his cock. He curses loudly and pinches my clit as I sit up with my hands resting behind me and on his thighs. I throw my head back, and as promised, ride him hard.

"Oh, yes – oh God, baby… ungh… just like that," Edward shouts. I moan and, in a moment of pure genius, I decide to try my balancing powers. As my hands are resting on the top of his thighs, I move them a little farther up and tug a little on his balls. "_Mio Dio_, Isabella," Edward yells and starts moving his hips faster to meet me as I come down on him again and again.

His hands pinch and pull at my nipples, then the other one starts to stimulate my clit, and I'm almost there. God, I hope he's ready to come because I don't think I can hold back any longer. "Edward, I…I'm going to…come, baby," I scream as I bounce above him.

"Fuck, baby, come on my cock," he grits from between his teeth. "God, I'm so fucking close, Bella." I start to pick up pace, and with one, two, three more thrusts, I fall apart above him. Just as soon as I come, I feel him spill inside me. His hot semen fills me in spurts, and I shiver.

My breathing is labored, and I'm shaking after my earth-shattering orgasm as I collapse on his chest. I'm exhausted, spent, but feeling so light headed, like I'm floating up in the clouds. Edward encircles his arms around my sweaty back and kisses my forehead.

"I love you the most, Isabella Swan. _The_ most," he says, and I sigh contentedly, a smile etched on my face. "Come on, _Carina_, let's get you cleaned up," he says, but squeezes me tighter against him. I laugh, and that's when I realize that we didn't use a condom. My heart fucking stops for a second. And then flies off rapidly. "Bella?" Edward says, worry lacing his tone. "Your heart's suddenly pounding, love, what's wrong?"

I hold up my finger and get off of him and sit down on the bed, clearing the fog that's clouding my brain and do the math. I breathe a sigh of relief when I realize that my period was supposed to start today, but it didn't. There wasn't even any spotting, so I'm sure it should start tomorrow. My cycles are always spot on, and I've been feeling the telltale aching since the last two days, so I know we're good.

I slump on the bed in relief and close my eyes, sending up a prayer. _Thank you God!_

"Bella? You're scaring me. What's wrong?" He takes my hand in his and squeezes it.

I shake my head. "We didn't use a condom, Edward," I remind him. I literally feel his hand go cold and sweat break out over his palm.

"Oh fuck," he whispers.

I open my eyes and look at his ashen face. I squeeze his hand in reassurance and say, "I know. But it's alright, I'm sure my period should start tomorrow, so we're covered."

He looks at me with uncertainty. "Are you sure?"

I nod. "Yup. I'm sure."

He sighs and rubs his hand over his face. "Thank God!"

I snort, nodding again. "Yeah, tell me about it! I was afraid I'll end up preggo like Alice on a whim. But, Edward, we need to be careful from the next time. This time, we just got lucky."

He nods his head and goes to stand off the bed, pulling me along with him. "Yeah, no, definitely. We need to be more careful from now on. And I think you should start taking birth control as well."

We walk into the bathroom, and he takes out a washcloth and wets it, first cleaning me up and then himself. "Yeah, I was going to see my gynecologist this week, anyway."

Just as soon as we're done cleaning up, I wash my face and then put on Alice's robe. Fuck, it'll be embarrassing when they come back and realize what we've been up to. But, eh, it was so _totally_ worth it.

Edward puts on his clothes, and as soon as we enter the kitchen, the doorbell rings. Edward and I exchange looks, and he says, "I think they forgot to take the keys."

I run to get the door, impatient as fuck to see a ring on Alice's finger. I wrench the door open, and standing there are Alice and Jasper with million watt smiles lighting up their faces.

Alice throws her arms around me and starts jumping. "I'm getting married, Bella! Oh my God," she screeches in my ear. I laugh, and then we're both jumping and shouting.

I look at Jasper and mouth, "Congrats". He winks at me and then him and Edward do this man-hug thing followed by a "You're whipped, motherfucker" from Edward, to which Jasper replies, "Right, you're the one to talk."

After Alice and I break apart, she finally calms down enough to show me the ring. As soon as I take her hand in mine, I hear Jasper let out a loud groan beside me. I look at him in confusion, but he's glaring daggers at Edward.

"Come on, man! Tell me you guys didn't go at it on my brand new bedsheets," he says.

I blush and fidget with my hands, but a big-ass grin involuntarily curls my lips. Alice hip-checks me and laughs, shouting, "You slut!"

Jasper points at Edward and says, "I'm sending you the dry cleaning bill, motherfucker."

Edward laughs and nods, then turns to wink at me. "It was worth every penny. Send away, asshole."

I chuckle and shake my head.

Jasper laughs this time and punches Edward on the arm.

Alice demands we all fawn over the ring and the attention be directed back toward the newly-engaged couple.

All's good.

But the million dollar question is – will all be good tomorrow, and the next day as well? Because this life, it's got a shitload of trouble looming over every step we take.

I digress.

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**No cliffie this time! So let's not hate me today :D I thought that'd be a nice change *blushes***

**Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and I hope I'll see you around next week! Don't forget to leave a review down here.**

**Till the next time *waves and grins***

**Follow me on twitter: bellstarfics**

**PS - Would it incline you guys to pressing that little review button down there if I start giving out bribes? Hmm... *pats finger on chin in deep thought***


	22. Chapter 21: All That Jazz

**Hey, you guys! Here's the next chapter with a flashback in EPOV. Finally, we see that last fight they had.**

**Okay, no long AN this time 'cos I'm famished and I need to go eat something RIGHT NOW. I just wanna quickly thank everyone for all the love and support. Means more than you guys'll ever know! THANK YOU for reading.**

**Beta'd by Heather and Ange.**

**Pre-read by Phoebs and Jen.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. No, no.**

**Enjoyy :)**

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**The more I see the less I know, the more I like to let it go.**

**Chapter 21**

**All That Jazz**

_Forks, 2005_

"_Bella, you're fucking smothering me!" I yell, pointing an accusing finger at her._

_She stalks toward me with a crazy expression on her face and pushes me on the chest. "How DARE you accuse _me_ of smothering you?" she yells right back at me. "Fucking look at yourself, Edward! Drugs? You got hooked on fucking drugs at sixteen?" she screeches like a banshee. _

_I pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers and will myself to keep calm. I remind myself that this is Bella I'm talking to, and I can't raise my voice at my Bella. "Listen," I say, holding out my hands in surrender. "Baby, I'm not _hooked_. I do it occasionally… everyone does, but I'm not an addict or anything. It's not that big a problem."_

_She takes a deep breath. "You will be, Edward," she says, glaring at me. "Keep this up, and you'll be an addict in no time, and then…" Her bottom lip begins to tremble and she looks down. "I don't want to lose you to this shit, Edward," she whispers and lets the tears fall._

_I should pull her into a hug and tell her that I'm going nowhere. I should tell her that she means the world to me, and I'll stop with the drugs. I should do a lot of things. But instead, I do the one thing I shouldn't do._

_I yell. _

"_Fucking awesome! Cry away now, why don't you? Like every fight we have, just fucking cry and I'll beg for your forgiveness, Bella. You want that, don't you? All you want is for me to do everything _you _say! God, you're such a fucking _kid_," I shout as I fist my hands in my hair. She takes a step back in shock, and her eyes are wide like saucers, a constant stream of tears flowing. _

"_Ed-Edward," she stutters, shocked and… and scared. _

Fuck. What have I done?

_My hands fall to my side, and I reach out to her. My heart fucking clenches and throbs when she pulls her hand out of my reach. She looks me in the eye and says, "You're high."_

_I take in a shaky breath and run my fingers through my hair in agitation. I knew I shouldn't have taken that last hit. "I'm sorry, baby, but I just –"_

_She yells again, cutting me off. "You came to our meadow fucking high on a bullshit drug?! You fucking asshole! How could you, Edward, how _could_ you? You tainted it! You fucking tainted our _meadow_!"_

_She starts sobbing and wraps her arm around her middle. I'm stunned that she just called me an asshole, that she just accused me of tainting something so serene as our meadow. How could she? It's not like I fucking took a hit in here! Why the fuck is she so touchy?_

_Sobs continue to rake through her body as she falls to her knees. Somehow, my fucked-up on drugs mind twists my head into hating that she cares. Hating that she cares enough to make me… _me_ again. _

_All I do is bend to squeeze her shoulder and say, "We'll talk about this tomorrow, baby. I have to go home now. I'll see you tomorrow at school okay?"_

_I kiss her on top of her head and leave. She'll go back home and go to her sister's party, I think. It's Rose's eighteenth birthday today, and Bella says she has big plans._

_I go home and sleep till the next morning. When I wake up, last evening comes crashing down on me like a tornado, making my entire being go numb. I feel like shit, like an _asshole_, like a fucking monster who'd leave the love of his life crying all alone. My heart hurts something fierce, and I run over to Bella's place._

_Her mom answers the door with an indifferent expression on her face. "She's not here," she says. Isn't Renee supposed to be in Phoenix with her new husband? What the fuck is she doing in my girl's house?_

"_She's gone to school already?" Fuck, she didn't even wait for me today. She must be so hurt… Mio Dio, what have I done?_

_Her mother snorts. "No. She's _left_. She and Rose decided that we weren't 'good enough' parents, and they skipped town once Rose turned eighteen yesterday. Whatever." She shrugs. "They'll live."_

_My backpack slips from my fingers, and my knees buckle under me. She couldn't have left. This woman was fucking nuts. Bella couldn't have just left me. _

_No. _

_~TETB~_

**BPOV**

The next week passes in a blur of Alice, Alice and then some more Alice. We hit the spa in Edward's building every day, then we usually went over to Esme's to discuss stuff for Alice's wedding, which she decided was to be within the next month. Actually, her exact words were, "I want to fit in that Vera Wang, and fuck if I'll let the fact that Jasper has super sperm deter me from wearing my dream dress. Bella, the wedding is happening this month." So the wedding was merely three weeks away, and today I had my doctor's appointment.

Edward had been on the phone with me for the past twenty minutes, listing off all the reasons why I shouldn't leave the building 'unprotected'.

"Edward," I whined, "all I'll be doing is going from Point A to Point B. I'll get in the car here and get out of the car at the hospital. I'll be absolutely fine."

"Take Alec with you at least," he bargains.

I take in a deep, calming breath. All these years, I've been my own person; independent, self-reliant and self-sufficient. Suddenly, I've been trapped in an apartment for almost a month, I have a bodyguard following me everywhere, and now I need permission to go out alone in a city I've lived in for the past seven years.

"Edward, I'm going to the hospital on my own and that's that," I snap and end the call. He's already left me keys to his missile-proof Audi that I was supposed to let Alec drive. I ignore the ringing of my cell and hurry down to the parking lot _before_ he decides to send one of his "men" over here. I pause at the doorway and, as a last minute decision, go into the kitchen. Once I've found what I was looking for, I bury it deep in my purse and leave.

As soon as I get in the car, I hit the locks and floor the accelerator. Really, I need to get away from this… this claustrophobic atmosphere that seems to be weighing down on me from all sides. I'm not being a petulant child who refuses to see the risk in going out all alone, but something about the way Edward says things rubs me the wrong way. It's not like he's suggesting I should do this or asking my permission if I'd like to do that, it's almost like he's _telling_ me, demanding me to do as _he_ says. Because apparently, he knows best.

I wouldn't have fought him on this if I knew that there was any actual risk, but fuck I'm going to the hospital! This need he has to control everything around him, to know every minute of what's going on in someone's life, it needs to stop. Because nobody controls Bella Swan, and I'll be damned if I ever let anyone.

As I reach the hospital, I send a text to Edward to ease some of his worries.

**I just reached the hospital in one piece. Going in now, so I'll call you once I get an okay from the doc. Try not to give yourself a migraine. -B**

I give the keys to the hospital valet and make my way to my gynecologist's. After the routine check-up, she tells me that I'm not pregnant, but we need to be careful next time because yes, it's possible for a woman to get pregnant during her period. It's an unlikely chance it'll happen, but the sperm can survive inside a woman's body for five days. Freaky right?

Anyway, so she gives me the birth-control shot and tells me I'm good to go. I stand outside the entrance gates and wait for the valet to bring around my car. Suddenly, I hear the distinct screech of tires and a black SUV stops in front of me. I stumble back as the passenger's side opens, and I see who it is.

"Jacob," I choke out.

He gets out of the car and smirks at me, looking exactly like the day when I first saw him – neatly pressed black suit, a cocky smirk in place and with an air of I'm-better-than-everybody-else. I know I should be scared, scared _shitless_, to see him here. But he's a Fed, and we're in a public place. He so much as looks at me the wrong way, and I'll show him the power of us common people!

"Well, well, Isabella, it's so good to see you today," he says in this creepy, hollow voice. I cringe at the tone and look around to make sure there are still people there. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see two guards pointing at us and looking at me with concern. _Okay, I'm okay._

I turn my eyes back to his and put on my Ray Bans. "Can't say I feel the same about you," I reply indifferently.

He chuckles. "Well, that's too bad. I'm surprised your boyfriend let you go out unguarded, maybe he really doesn't love you as much we thought, eh, Bella?"

_What the fuck did he just say?_ I take a step toward him, and he looks at me in amusement. "Don't fucking call me Bella, you asshole," I hiss in a low voice so that no one else can hear me. "And as for how much my boyfriend loves me or not, that's none of your business."

"You didn't have to run away, you know. We would've made a great team, bringing down Volterra together. Quite a hypocrite you are, after saying all that shit about hating the Mafia," he says.

I take in a deep breath. "Why are you here anyway, Jacob? Couldn't your sorry ass find anything better to do than stalk me?"

"Bella, Bella." He tsks. My fists clench. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you. You see right at this moment, I could pull out my badge, and no one would object if I were to whisk you away in my car." _He's right. Shit, he's right. _Suddenly, his face hardens and turns even more menacing. "But I'm not going to do that right now. I want my revenge from Edward _fucking_ Cullen, and you're just collateral." He tightly grasps my biceps in his large hands and bends down to whisper in my ear. "I want you to go back to your happy little apartment and tell him that he's a dead man. Tell him that I know what he's up to, and the fucking_ Skip_ won't know what hit him. You'll do that won't you, Isabella?"

I smirk up at him and say, "Why don't you tell him yourself, Black?"

The minute Edward was here, I could feel it. I could feel him staring at me even though I couldn't see him; I could _feel_ his eyes burning a hole in my face.

His face morphs into confusion, and then I hear Edward's voice. "Get your hands off of her," Edward says, suddenly appearing at my side.

Jacob lets go like I burned him, and I feel the circulation return to my arms. Edward winds his arm around my waist and pulls me tightly to his side. He kisses my head and whispers in my ear, "You never listen to me do you, Bella? I hope this proves that my concerns about your safety are not all in vain."

I nod and look up at him, but he's already giving Jacob a murderous glare. I turn to look at him myself and almost burst out laughing at the terrified expression he wears. _Not so high and mighty now eh, Jacob Black?_

"You were saying something?" Edward says, his calm voice clearly screaming 'don't you dare say anything!'

Jacob clears his throat and looks around. My eyes scan the place as well, and as expected, people are staring and pointing. "I've said all I want to. I'll be going now, Mr. Cullen," he says through gritted teeth.

Edward gives a terse nod, and his hand squeezes my hip tighter as a shiver runs through me. "You do that, motherfucker," Edward says, not caring if anybody hears him. "Keep your hands to yourself, or I'll cut them off, yeah? And I so much as see you within ten miles of her, Black, I won't think twice before putting a bullet through that thick skull of yours."

"Yes, Skip," he says automatically, obediently. His eyes widen as he realizes what he just said, and his body starts shaking in fury. "Fuck you, Edward Cullen," he growls.

Edward just throws his head back and laughs. "Go home, _cazzo_. Or maybe you'd like to go film some more tapes with your _goomah_."

I see Jacob visibly turn white as the words leave Edward's mouth, and all I can think is – this man is more of a sick fuck than I gave him credit for!

We leave in the Audi I drove out here in, and Edward tells Felix to drive the black sedan he came here in back to the apartment. The car ride back home is… tense. I tell him all about my encounter with Jacob before he swept in like my knight in a black suit, and Edward doesn't say a word to me, just nods and nods. I want to ask him about what beef he really has with Jacob, about why Jacob blurted out 'yes, Skip' like he'd said the same two words for years. But I know that in due time, he'll tell me all about it himself. If I ask him myself, he'll omit shit, and I don't want that. When we reach the apartment, I decide that I've had enough of the silence and, as usual, take it upon myself to break it.

"Edward," I say as I follow him to kitchen, "I know you want to hear me say sorry, but honestly, I'm not sorry for going out alone."

He takes juice out of the fridge and nods at me. "I know."

"Uh… good," I say, confused by his reply. When he just sits there drinking juice and eating chips, I start to get impatient. "You're not mad at me?"

He chuckles humorlessly and looks at me. "I'm fucking furious with you right now, Bella. But seeing as you are… you, so stubborn and defiant, I'm glad I don't have to fight you on this anymore. It's obvious you'll always have someone with you all the time now." He shrugs like it's no big deal.

Oh yes, of course it is so _glaringly_ obvious isn't it?

I don't even fight with him on this because I know it's pointless. But of course, I can't do without having the last word. "I was in no real danger, Edward," I say with my chin high. "And I had your gun in my purse anyway."

His eyes snap to mine and his face is a blank mask. Slowly, a wide grin spreads across his face and his eyes twinkle with mirth. "Did you now?" he says, his voice amused and impressed. I blush a little and nod. He continues, "Do you even know how to use it, Bella?"

_Shit, I clearly hadn't thought this through._ "Uh… you just need to pull the trigger right? How hard can it be? I did a little target practice at the FBI headquarters though, with those fake gun things they have."

He laughs and comes around to my side of the breakfast bar. He holds out his hand, and I take it, hopping off the stool. He wraps his arms around my waist and holds me close to his chest. "Go get ready, baby, and I'll show you what target practice is. Those pussies at FBI don't know shit."

"We're going shooting?" I gape at him. "Where?"

"There's a practice area in my parents' basement. It's pretty fucking awesome, and I'm sure you'll love it. You go change into something comfortable, and I'll call Mom up to let her know we're coming."

I nod excitedly, and he laughs, pats me on the ass, and tells me to "hurry up, amateur!"

I change into black skinny jeans, a V-neck black top that hugs my curve in all the right places, and don a black leather jacket over it. Next I accessorize with a skull ring which I wear on my middle finger, and then I pull on my black ankle boots. Everything is brand new, what with Edward letting me use his credit card so generously. I swipe some mascara over my eyelashes, put on my favorite lip balm, and pinch my cheeks a little to get that nice pink hue on them, never being one for a lot of makeup. I zip up my jacket and walk outside. If I'm going to be shooting guns, I need to look the part at least.

I see Edward standing by the door with his back to me, and he seems to be texting someone. I walk up to him and tap on his shoulder. His head snaps around, and his mouth falls open as he gives me a once over.

I grin at him and wink. "I know I look totally badass, but if you look at me like that, Cullen, we're not getting out of here anytime soon."

His lips curve up into the most gorgeous grin, and he twirls his finger in the air. I laugh and spin around, holding my hands as if to say 'ta-da' when I face him again. "Gorgeous," he says, laughing, and takes my hands. "How can you make three simple pieces of clothing look this hot?"

I roll my eyes at him and peck him on the lips. "Thank you, but you gotta admit, you're slightly biased, Edward."

He shakes his head as he pulls me to his chest and runs his hand up and down my back. "No, I'm not, Bella."

I hold my thumb and forefinger an inch apart and narrow my eyes. "You're a _little_ biased, baby."

He laughs and lowers his head to give me that kiss which I know will make my toes curl. "Whatever you say, my love," he breathes against my lips, and then crashes his mouth to mine.

_~TETB~_

"Your goggles are intact?" Edward asks.

"Yup."

"Are you sure you wanna forgo the earmuffs? We'll get out of here deaf, Bella," he says once again.

"Edward." I sigh. "How will I listen to your instructions if I put on these earmuffs?"

"Yeah, good point," he says and comes to stand behind me. He places his hands on my hips, and my body immediately jerks toward him at the contact. It's involuntary really. His mouth is next to my ear as I feel his hot breath against my neck. "The gun you're holding, baby, is a 9mm semi-automatic. It has a metal frame, so the recoil will be less, but you should be prepared for the worst. Okay?"

I gulp and nod. "Okay," I squeak out, breathing rapidly as his hands squeeze my hips once.

"Good. Now I want you to grip the gun tightly with both your hands. Are you doing that?" he whispers huskily in my ear.

My grip on the gun tightens, and Edward's hands travel from my waist and up my sides, past my heaving chest, to my arms, and down to my hands. He slides his fingers over mine, interlocking them against the gun.

"Uh huh," I mumble.

"_Bene_. Now I want you to raise your arms in front of you." His hands squeeze mine once and then slowly start moving away and down my arms, leaving a fiery sensation in their wake.

_What? No! Bring your hands back here!_

He takes a step away from me and says, "Lock your elbows and keep your arms completely straight and your muscles tight. We good so far?"

"Y-yeah," I say shakily.

"Put your finger on the trigger, baby." I place my finger on the little curve. "Now, there's a safety on the trigger, so you're going to have to really squeeze it. You ready?"

I nod.

"Okay, remember there's going to be strong recoil, so keep your arms locked tight or you might hurt yourself." I squeak out an answer I think. He continues, "Aim and fire, Bella."

I take in a deep breath and hold it in.

_Aim and fire. Aim and fire. Aim and fire._ I press the trigger, and… _holy shit, I really need to put a lot of force to fire this thing. _

The shot rings out and hits the human cut-out target right in his stomach. The recoil is actually pretty strong, and I stagger on my feet. I feel Edward's hands wrap around my middle as he holds me upright.

His lips kiss the side of my neck, and I shiver, my eyes fluttering close. I feel his lips curve into a smile against my skin, and he says, "Breathe, baby."

I release the breath I'd been holding in, and my heart is thudding_ so_ fast in my ribcage. My breathing is short and ragged, and I slump with my back against his chest. "That was amazing, Edward," I whisper, in awe of the feeling of absolute power that surged through my veins when I pulled that trigger.

He chuckles and squeezes me tighter against his hard chest. "You did fantastic, Bella. Punctured your victim's stomach with the first blow," he says, impressed, and a big-ass smile breaks apart on my face. "But," he continues, "that's not a sure shot death. He can still be saved if he's taken to the hospital on time. You want him to die_ on the spot_, you hear me?" he says, his mouth once again against my ear.

I nod in answer. I feel him nod once as well, and then he says, "This time, I want you to get the heart or the brain, love."

I stand up straighter and say, "Again."

_And again we go._

* * *

**Who doesn't love a little target-practice sexual tension, eh? *winks and smirks***

**Quick fic rec: (and don't forget to tell her who sent you. I'm feeling the love today. Lol.)**

**Caged Skylark by QuinnLark**

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**Till the next time *runs to the deli***

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	23. Chapter 22: Hot Stone

**Hey you guys! Here's the next chapter. I just wanna thank every one of you for the AMAZING response to the last chapter. Seriously, I loved it okay? And all those people who take out the time to review every chapter while reading the story...youse are amazing! It means so much to me! Thanks a ton, you people (you know who you are).**

**Thanks a bunch to Heather and Ange for betaing.**

**And Phoebe and Jen for their lovely work as my pre-readers.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothin' Twilight.**

**Enjoyy!**

* * *

**I never lie to any man because I don't fear anyone. The only time you lie is when you are afraid.**

**Chapter 22**

**Hot Stone**

"Bella, Bella, the white or the cream?"

"The white, definitely the white," I say, nodding my head and continuing my guest-list check.

"Okay, now border—golden or blue?"

"Blue, Alice. Your theme is white and royal blue isn't it? Why would your white card have a golden border?" I ask, scrunching up my face in confusion. Being the maid of honor, I had innumerable duties, and on top of that, I had to keep the hormonal, ditzy Alice in check. This wedding…it was turning into a nightmare!

"No," she wails. "I had this awesome idea. See, I was thinking, we could do the white card with the printing color being royal blue, a _thin_ golden border around the edges of the invite, and mine and Jasper's name? We could outline the initials of our names, _only_ our names, with a slightly more subdued golden. It would look so pretty," she says dreamily. "Also, on the napkins? I was thinking along with the A&J in royal blue, we could also have a thin golden border around the letters, and a little flutter of glitter—the kind that sticks to the napkin—around our initials so no one misses it. What d'you say?"

I look at her, dumbstruck, but she's a crazy bride, so I force a smile to my face. "Of course, we can do that." I look over at Ramon who's doing all the field work for us and say, "We can do that right?

He nods and says, "Yes, I don't see why not, Miss Swan. I'll call for the changes to be made right away to the napkins."

I give him a grateful smile and turn toward Alice. "Okay, so the invitation hampers are all sorted, Al?"

"Yup, they are," she says, grinning excitedly at me. She looks at Ramon and says, "Can you please call the printer for me? I want to explain this to him personally so there's no confusion." She turns to me again and starts ticking off all the items in the hamper. "Okay, so the guests get hampers which have a bottle of Merlot, the invite, strawberry fudge chocolates, and a Swiss knife with the wedding date and our names embedded on it. I got it all, right?"

I nod and look over the final edit of the guest-list, sighing when I see that we're still on two hundred guests. _Good grief, so many people!_ I was stressing out just thinking about handling this big a crowd. "Still have two hundred guests, goddammit!" I groan.

Alice waves her hand dismissively and plops down next to me on Esme's couch. She starts to say something when the flamboyant photographer interrupts us. "Lookie here, lovelies! Aaannddd say cheese," he squeaks in this irritating voice, and I force my lips to curve up while Alice squeals, "Cheeeese" beside me. Esme decided that we just _had_ to document all the moments leading up to the wedding, including the mundane preparations, and hired a photographer who keeps clicking random shots all the time. Right now, my life seems like a constant fixture of Alice, Ramon, Alec (my official 24/7 bodyguard), Daniel (the irritating photographer), and the only person that keeps me sane—Edward.

It's been three days since Jacob's little visit to the hospital, and during the drive back home after the target practice, Edward finally caved and told me all about his history with Jacob. He told me how he'd always gotten a bad vibe from "the son-of-a-bitch", and how Jacob had always wanted to be a part of Volterra, but he could never have been a made guy because of his lineage. He told me about Jacob's addiction to drugs, and how Billy Black was a snitch and, after Edward took care of him, Jacob was full of vengeance. He pulled some strings, used his AP brain to get into the FBI, and was out for blood. But, Edward also told me all about the shit we had over Jacob. We had videos which, if leaked, could ruin him; we had pictures of him dealing in China Town, and Jacob Black was a gone fucker. It was only a matter of when and how. Now that I know we have fuck-awesome ammo on him, my worries have ebbed. Edward's promised me that he needs to take care of a few more things, and before Alice and Jasper's wedding, Jacob will be out of our lives for good. I really do hope he's right.

Alice pulls me out of my musings by elbowing me in the side. I give her a questioning glance, and she winks at me. "So," she drawls, "I heard you had a shooting session a few days back, huh. How was it?"

My face lights up, and I bounce lightly on the couch, the very thought thrilling me beyond words. "Oh God, Alice, it was so awesome! You have to try it sometime. There was this one second, when I pulled that trigger, that I felt so powerful, Al, almost untouchable, invincible. And the sex that followed when we got home…_damn_!" I whistle and fan my face.

Her eyes sort of glaze over, and she immediately texts Jasper to take her shooting ASAP. Esme joins us in the living room a few minutes later, and we spend the rest of the afternoon going over cake ideas, the overall décor for the wedding, and I pester them to go over the guest-list _one_ last time. They glare at me, and I melt in my seat. Esme has very firmly, but sweetly, told us that the wedding will happen in their gigantic backyard. I loved the idea, the place was gorgeous, and when Alice saw it for herself, she was all for it.

The one thing that really threw me for a loop was the sudden onslaught of the media. While I knew that the Cullens often made appearances in print as well as on TV, I never thought Jasper's marriage would be this big a deal. Wherever we went, at least three to four reporters were on our heels all the time. It was unexpected and, I'll admit, a little daunting. When I'd seen my picture in _Chicago Tribune_, I'd started to hyperventilate. They were calling me "Boss Woman" and "EC's brand new toy" and some even went so far as to say that I was pregnant and Edward and I had already wed secretly. It was a madhouse on some days.

But then Edward would come home, hold me in his arms, tell me to "ignore the motherfuckers, _Carina_", and I didn't care as much then. About the whole being a Mafia girlfriend thing…I'm getting used to it. I'm acclimatizing myself to having a gun on me at all times, to having a bodyguard for a shadow, and to being addressed as "Miss Swan" all the time. But there are things that test my emotional tenacity—having to stay up till one on some nights to see Edward walk through the door, to getting used to "Bella, I can't tell you where I'm going. You don't talk about the mob—it's a rule. I'm sorry, baby", and to the constant scrutiny by the media and other mob wives. I'm like a sponge, soaking up every little detail of Edward's—_our_ world, adjusting and molding myself and my very personality to be what's expected of me—the girlfriend and future wife of the Boss Man, of the Skip, of EC.

The guys in Edward's crew though—Santino (or Sonny like everyone calls him), Felix, Enzo, Alonzo and Franco, these guys are fucking _awesome_. Honestly, I never thought a bunch of loud, foul-mouthed, constantly horny, huge Italian mob men would have the capability to make me fall out of my chair laughing instead of scaring the shit out of me, but they do. They're so…so _warm_, and they respect Edward like he's their God, but they tease each other relentlessly. Their jokes are so crass, but a few minutes in their company, and you're laughing like a hyena.

Things are surprisingly mellow and almost _normal_ right now, but it's just the calm before the storm. Any day now, I expect a shit-storm to blow over and rock our lives; the unvarying fear is always lurking in my sub-conscious.

Wrapping up for the day with the wedding plans, I head back to the apartment with Alice and Ramon in tow, and Alec driving us over. Alice and I part ways with plans to meet up later in the evening in the spa, and then make way to our respective apartment.

As I unlock the door and step inside, I hear the distinct sound of a vacuum cleaner at work. My brows furrow in confusion as I follow the noise to the living room and see a middle-aged woman humming away as she vacuums the carpet.

"Umm…excuse me?" I say, wondering if Edward ever mentioned a housekeeper. This woman certainly looks comfortable in her surroundings.

She turns to me and smiles, bowing her head slightly. "Miss Swan." And then she goes back to silently vacuuming.

I dump my purse on the recliner and plop down on the couch in front of the woman. "I'm sorry, but Edward never told me we had a housekeeper. May I ask your name?"

She regards me with curiosity and then murmurs, a small smile on her face, "I'm Annalisa Frank, Miss Swan. I've been working for Mr. Cullen for the past four years, and I come over to clean once a week."

"But I've been here for a month, Annalisa, and I've never seen you before this," I say, not in accusation, but simply confused.

"I had to take a leave, Miss Swan…my…son was very ill," she says, but doesn't meet my eyes. I inspect her face for any signs of a lie, but I don't see any. But she hesitated when she said "my son", and she shouldn't have. She didn't meet my eyes when she said this, and she _should_ have.

_But she's been working here for so long. If something was up with her, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be here today. Maybe she's just shy…_

I still text Edward to make sure she's not lying or anything, and he replies with **Oh ye, Mrs. Frank was due today. It's okay, she's no trouble. Miss you, baby, I'll see you soon. -E**

I shrug and jump off the couch, giving her a grin and a "nice to meet you, Annalisa" as I make my way to the bathroom to freshen up.

I come out of the bathroom wearing shorts and a hoodie when I see Alec talking to Annalisa. Her head is bowed as she listens to him prattle on in a stern voice, and I listen harder to hear what he's saying to her.

"…doesn't know many things, Annalisa. You need to make sure that she knows exactly how to behave when people come over, and you need to keep your distance from her. Answer only when she asks you a direct question and don't look her in the eye. She's EC's girlfriend, and her life is above everything else, Lisa. When you two are alone, you don't say a word to her, and we need to shield her as much as possible from this world. You know more than you ought to, and she _doesn't_ need to know—"

I interrupt him as I step into the living room with my eyebrow raised and my arms crossed across my chest. "So, just because I'm _EC's_ girlfriend, it makes me untouchable?" I ask, my voice betraying my anger.

Alec straightens and nods once in my direction. "Miss Swan, I'm only doing as I was told by Skip."

I look at him shock. "_Edward_ told you to ask her not to speak to me?"

His posture slumps, and he sighs. "EC's only doing what's best for you. And what's best is that you keep your distance from anything and everything that may put you even in the hint of danger. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're a delicate target, and Skip's just looking out for you."

I huff and uncross my arms. "Yeah, I get that. But how is _Annalisa_ a danger to me, Alec?"

"She's not. But"—he glances at her from the corner of his eye and then focuses on me again—"we don't trust anyone but family around here, Miss Swan."

I've heard these words out of Edward's and Carlisle's mouth innumerable times. "Family is everything, kids," Carlisle would tell me and Edward as our young minds absorbed his words in awe. "Never trust anyone other than your family, because no one can love you or guide you better than your family can."

After milling around the apartment for a while, reading books and watching a movie, I finally decide to make the phone call I've been procrastinating for quite some time now. Just before leaving for my appointment at the spa, I finally take the plunge and hit the little green button.

I hold my breath as the phone rings.

With a click, someone's picked it up. "Good morning, this is Nicolas Wales from the London School of Economics. How may I help you today?"

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. "Hi," I finally begin, "I'm Isabella Swan, and I'd like to talk to you about the re-admission procedure, please."

_**~TETB~**_

"Rose," I screech, so happy to see my sister again. I haven't seen her or Emmett since the day the whole deal came out, and seeing her here today at the spa really made my day.

"Bella baby," she squeals and runs over to engulf me in a hug. Alice laughs beside us, and Rose pulls her in with a "what you doing over there, Shorty", and then all three of us are hugging and squealing right there in the spa wearing only our robes.

Once we all separate, I turn to Alice and give her a smacking kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for calling Rosalie here today, Al. I loved the surprise! Really, thank you."

She shook her head and grinned at me. "You've been working so hard for my wedding, and I've been a hormonal bridezilla. This is nothing really. And, girls, today's on Jasper." She giggles. "He says we should all pamper ourselves, and I say—pick the most expensive shit 'cos we're so not holding back today!"

We laugh, and Rose pinches Alice's arm. "You gave him real good head last night or something, Al?" she teases, winking.

Alice's face lights up, and she grins mischievously. "Something like that."

"Okay, okay," I say, not interested in hearing about Alice giving Jasper head. "Let's go choose our pleasure for the day."

After we've chosen a massage each, we take off the robe and settle under the covers on our tables. While I chose a hot stone therapy of sorts, Alice and Rose chose some massage suitable for their pregnant selves. I giggled and called them soon-to-be-fatties. They narrowed their eyes at me and told me to "shut the fuck up."

While we lay on adjacent tables, moaning and groaning in satisfaction, Alice decided that she'd kept her mouth shut for a long time and couldn't keep her lips sealed any longer.

"So, Bella," she starts, while I groan and flip her the bird. "I've been meaning to ask you for some time now—"

"Alice," I whine, "shut up." She'll ask me questions, meaning I'll have to answer, meaning I'll have to talk. _I don't want to open my mouth._

She continues nonetheless. "—have you thought about going back to LSE?"

My back immediately goes rigid, and all the blood drains from my face. I frantically pull my head out of the hole in the table and whip my face toward her.

"Wh-why would you ask that now?" I whisper, stunned.

_I haven't breathed a word about LSE to anyone. And for Alice to bring it up today of all days…_

I see her shoulders lift in a shrug as she continues to sip her virgin mojito through the hole in the table. "It was just a thought. So, have you?"

Rose chimes in from my other side. "Yeah, Bella, have you?"

I grunt and flop my face back into the hole, screwing my eyes shut. "Yeah," I say, "I've…thought about it."

"Well, so what did you decide?" Rose asks, and then moans as the masseuse no doubt kneads her well and good.

"I haven't decided anything yet. I mean, I haven't really given it much thought either. It's a very remote possibility that I can go live in London anyway, you guys. You know how it is," I say, sighing as the masseuse tells me to loosen up.

I roll my shoulders and slowly re-relax all the muscles in my body. This is absolutely not the conversation I wanna have right now.

Rose sighs beside me and says in a disgusted voice, "Yeah, I know how it is."

_**~TETB~**_

When I get back to the apartment at eight, I see that all the lights are off and Annalisa has left. I changed at the spa after a shower, so I go into the bedroom and call Edward to ask when he'll be home. He's usually back by eight, and if he's not, he calls and lets me know.

He doesn't pick the first three times I call him.

It scares me. He _always_ picks my calls. Always.

I text him.

**What time should I expect you today, Mr. Simple & Fit? And really, it wouldn't kill you to pick up the phone. –B**

There's no reply for an hour after that.

He always replies within minutes.

I break out in cold sweat.

I hurriedly get out from under the covers and shout for Alec who's sitting out in the hall.

"Alec, have you heard from Edward or any of the guys?" I ask, stopping in front of the couch where he's playing chess with himself.

He immediately stands up and shakes his head. "No, Miss Swan, I haven't."

I nod and pull at my hair, suddenly feeling dread creep into my heart. _Something's not right. I can fucking feel it._ "Can you call Santino or someone and see what's happening? Edward won't answer my calls, and he's not replying to texts," I say frantically, pacing in the living room.

He quickly takes out his phone and dials. "Bella, I'm sure everything's fine. You don't worry, okay?"

It's the first time he's called me by my first name, and if that's not enough of a shock, he actually sounds comforting.

He turns his back on me and speaks in hushed whispers to someone over the phone. I figure he'll tell me later himself, so I don't even try to listen in, too busy trying to keep my blood pressure normal.

He cuts the phone and turns to me with a blank mask over his face.

My stomach drops.

He knows what's going on.

And he's not going to tell me. I can see it in his face.

I stalk toward him and point an accusing finger in his face. "Don't even _think_ about hiding what you know, Alec. Tell me _right now_ where Edward is," I demand.

He doesn't even fucking blink. "I can't."

I collapse on the ground in a heap of jumbled limbs. I can't make him tell me, I know he won't tell me.

"Please," I whisper, "Please, Alec." I try again, pleading.

He picks me up by my forearms and lays me down on the couch, a pained look crosses his face as he says, "I can't, Bella, please. I'm so sorry, but I just _can't_."

I nod and curl up on the couch, not even trying to hold back the tears that escape my eyes non-stop. My entire being shakes as my mind conjures up the worst case scenarios, and I don't have it in me to be strong. I don't think the idea of calling Esme, Carlisle, Alice or Emmett crosses my mind. My brain has frozen, and only Edward's face keeps me anchored to the present.

Somehow, I fall asleep with Edward's voice in my head lulling me into unconsciousness.

The next thing I know, I'm hearing a key turning in a lock. That's the sound I've been waiting for even in my state of half-asleep-half-awake.

I jump up from the couch and run to the door, wiping my tears on the way, and wrench it open.

Standing there is Edward.

"Bella…" he whispers.

My eyes roam his body as I take in his mud-spattered shoes, his muddy, bloody and torn pants. My eyes make way to his chest, where his shirt is untucked and rumpled, torn in several places, and there are patches of blood here and there.

My heart stops when I look at his face. He's bruised and bloody.

_Oh God…_

_Oh my dear God…_

I can't control the whimper that escape my lips, and I crash my body to his.

"Edward," I sob, clinging to his chest. "Edward."

He wraps his arms tightly around me and kisses me on top of my head. "Bella. _Mia bellissima Bella_."

I sob against his chest. "Don't talk. Come on, let's get you inside."

I pull back, but he keeps his hands wrapped around my waist, and then slowly his hands make way to cup my face. "In a minute," he says, and the pain I hear in his voice… it fucking blows the wind right out of me.

"My Bella," he whispers, and then softly kisses me on the lips.

I return his kiss, pouring all my love into it. Slowly, he pulls back.

And then his knees buckle as he collapses in front of me, at my feet.

* * *

**Translation:**

**Mia bellissima Bella - My beautiful Bella**

**I'll be updating again next week! See you soon! **

**And, guys, trust me okay? I wouldn't do anything too scarring, and I said initially that this is NOT an angst story. Hold tight for the next chapter though.**

**Till the next time *smiles***

**Follow me on twitter: bellstarfics**


	24. Chapter 23: Rock It

**Hello, people! Here's the next chapter. Thank you all so much for all the love and awesomeness you shower the story with! It humbles me to see so many of you appreciate my writing, and love the story! It means so much, you guys!**

**Okay, for all those who haven't realized this yet, I do an EPOV every 4 chapters. So, yeah, here's one in his POV.**

_**IMPORTANT:  
There is a part in the chapter which is gory and bloody to say the least. It's not something scarring really (I think?), but any one of you might want to skip that, this is fair warning in advance. I have mentioned where you can stop reading and where you can start again.**_

**Thanks to Heather, Ange, Phoeb, Jen and Chan for their help with this chapter! You ladies are something else. Love.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoyy :)**

* * *

**If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.**

**Chapter 23**

**Rock It**

**EPOV**

_**Edward's office, 4 PM**_

I reply to Bella's text asking about Mrs. Frank, a small smile playing on my lips that she's finally taking her safety seriously.

My eyes scan the office I have at _Il Cigno, _taking notice of the time—4 PM—and linger on the two other people in the room with me—Sam and Jasper.

"He's going to go for it tomorrow morning, Skip. It's now or never," Sam says.

The smile vanishes, and I bang my hand on the table and curse like nobody's business. "Are you abso-fucking-lutely sure? I thought we'd have more time goddammit!" I seethe, irritated.

He sighs and slumps lower in his chair. "He's on high-alert now that he knows you have all his vids with the whore, and those rookies at China Town have opened their mouths. He knows he's in deep shit, and he's acting fast, EC. We have to get him tonight. There's just no other option."

I take in a deep breath and rub my finger on my eyebrow, thinking, coming up with a plan to take down Jacob Black tonight. It needs to be precise, accurate, and flawless.

I turn to Sam, who's an Agent himself, only he's on my payroll. "Okay, I need to know where Black will be at seven thirty tonight, and wherever he is, I want you to personally make sure that he leaves the place alone. I'll have Santino contact him and tell him that I want a sit-down to negotiate things—"

"But he knows he doesn't have anything we'd want, Edward. He's not going to buy it," Jasper interrupts me.

Because it's Jasper, my _Consigliore_, who interrupted me, I don't mind. But if someone else had done it, that would've shown disrespect, and disrespect toward the Boss is just not tolerated.

"Yes, he does. He has Bella's freedom in his hands, and he knows I'll be willing to negotiate things, anything, to get that back," I say. Jasper and Sam look appalled to hear that I'm actually willing to negotiate things with Black. I smirk at them and lift an eyebrow. "You honestly believe this? Am I that good?"

Jasper's the first one who understands as I see amusement replace the confusion on his face. He starts, "Black is only going to _think_ that you're negotiating things with him. He's going to tell you where he's kept her passport and documents, and he's going to get the FBI off her trail. In turn, you'll promise to hand over the videos to him and make him disappear from this country." I nod, not surprised that Jasper knows exactly what I'm thinking. "But can we trust him, Edward?"

"No, we can't. That's why I need to make sure he arrives alone. If he's desperate enough to get those tapes, he will do as we say, no questions asked. Now, it's going to be in the limelight if suddenly a Federal Agent taking care of the Volterra case were to disappear. Jasper, I need you to call the reporters that we have on our payroll and send them all the dirt we have on him tonight—but wait for my go."

He nods and says, "Yes, that's fine. He can be painted to look exactly like we want him to—a corrupt agent who's better off dead."

I sit down in my chair and swirl the scotch in my glass, thinking. "Sam, I want you to make all records of Black's whereabouts in the FBI headquarters from eight thirty to eleven thirty disappear. He's not going to live longer than that anyway." I shrug. I turn to Jasper. "Tell Santino to come in."

He gets up and calls for Sonny. He comes and sits in his seat, and Sonny comes in five minutes later looking apprehensive, yet eager to be of service. He's one of my best guys.

"Sonny." I tilt my chin up in greeting. "Take a seat." I motion to one of the empty chairs in front of my table.

"What do you need me to do, Boss?" he asks. _Straight to the point—that's why I like him!_

"I need you to get in touch with Black and tell him to meet me at Fio's Kitchen; it's a little Italian family joint in Gerund Avenue, very public place. Tell him to come there alone at eight thirty in a taxi that I want you to personally send for him. Assure him that I just want to talk and negotiate things, and that I'll be accompanied only by Emmett. But _he_ is to come alone, Sonny, make it _very_ clear." I wait for him to process this, and when he nods a second later, I continue. "I don't want anyone around there. Before I whack off Black, I need Bella's documents, and I need him to absolve her of anything that might lead the FBI to her. This needs to play out _exactly_ like I want it to, you hear me?"

He nods solemnly and gets up. "Consider it done, Boss. Anything else?"

I shake my head and motion with my head toward the door. "No, that's all. _Non si scherza su questo, Sonny."_

"_Non lo farò_," he replies, and then slinks out of the room with his phone already out.

Jasper sighs loudly. "He's a good guy. You planning to do something for him soon?"

I turn to him with a sharp look in my eyes. He's obviously had a drink too many already, and his loose mouth in front Sam isn't working. "_Guarda quello che dici, Jasper,"_ I spit out. His eyes widen, and he gulps, nodding as he gets up to get himself a glass of water. "When you're sober enough, call Emmett and tell him that I need him here within the hour. If he has any surgeries scheduled…tell him to re-schedule them."

I go through little details in my mind, double checking to make sure I didn't miss anything, and that I haven't forgotten to give anyone instructions. As soon as Emmett gets here, I'll explain every little thing to him, and then we'll be on our way.

"Edward, I need to talk to you," Jasper says, staring pointedly at Sam.

I nod and say to Sam, "I expect to hear from you later, Sam. Call me as soon as you have his location for seven thirty."

He gets up, understanding my clear dismissal. "You got it, Skip."

Once he leaves, Jasper slumps down on a chair and looks at me in reproach. "Why am I being left out of the action, Edward? You're taking Emmett with you and not me?"

I knew this was coming; I was _waiting_ for this. "Jas, you're my _Consigliore,_ and that means you're _never _out of the action. Emmett is accompanying me because Black knows that he's not directly involved in the business like you are, and that's going to lull him into a false sense of security. Taking you with me would only be like tipping Black off that something's not right, and that's the last fucking thing I want to do. Also, if Emmett and I go, he'll be assured that this is solely for Bella's welfare, and we know that Emmett is more than capable of handling things."

We know this because we've trained Emmett to handle things. The man can crack your neck, and you'll never see it coming. But when you're part of this thing of ours, knowing this shit is necessary to survive.

"I want my revenge on him too, Edward," Jasper says. "I want to be there in the warehouse with you and Emmett." I cock an eyebrow at him; this time actually surprised he knows I won't kill Black on the spot, and that I'm planning on working my way with him. Jasper laughs. "Come on, man, give me some fucking credit! I'm your brother, and I know how that mind of yours works. So, can I be there?"

I chuckle and get up, straightening my suit jacket. "Yes, Jasper, you can be there. Wait for us at the warehouse, and Emmett and I will get there with Black at precisely nine fifteen."

I take out my Blackberry and call the owner of Fio, while Jasper talks to Emmett over the phone.

"Mr. Cullen, how may I help you today?" the heavily accented voice of Vitolli greets me.

"Meet me at your restaurant in an hour, Vitolli, and I'll tell you what I need," I say.

_**Fio's Kitchen, 8:00 PM**_

Emmett cuts the line and turns to me with a smirk on his face. "Black's on his way. Alone."

I nod and settle more comfortably in the worn sofa. There are only three more customers here, and they're all Vitolli's workers, just like I told him I wanted it.

"Everything needs to be quiet and subdued, Emmett. I don't wanna hear a peep out of Black, and he should not see it coming. This needs to be quick and over within five minutes," I say, bringing my third glass of scotch for the day to my lips.

He holds up his hands and says, "Hey, I'm just the muscle here. You're the one who needs to lure him out, and you'll be the one talking to gain Bella's stuff _and_ freedom. From my side, I'll fucking choke him in the vocal chords, and you won't hear a squeak outta the fucker."

I smirk slightly as I think about showing up at home with the good news that Black's out of our lives for good. _I can't fucking wait to see the smile on Bella's face…_

_**Fio's Kitchen, 8:30 PM**_

"Jacob." I hold my hand out to shake his, as he approaches our table, dressed impeccably in a neatly ironed suit. Underneath that suit, he's sweating like a pig. I can fucking smell the nervousness and fear on him, but he puts on a good show.

But before he can take my hand, Emmett is standing between us. "I'll have to pat you down, Mr. Black."

I can see Jacob tense, and right at this minute, I don't want to give him any reason to doubt us. I put a hand on Emmett's shoulder and say, "Oh no, Emmett, don't worry about it. I trust Jacob to know he wouldn't bring a gun to this meeting." I look Jacob in the eye. "After all, it's not like we're carrying one either, I promise you that. This is a peaceful negotiation."

Emmett bows his head slightly and backs away, while Jacob nods and relaxes. When a _Mafiosi_ says "I promise", it's a big deal. But in this situation, my words don't mean shit. "I don't have a gun on me, Mr. Cullen; I can assure you of that. After all…this is but a peaceful negotiation," he says, quoting my words back to me.

Once we're seated, I finally sip the last of my scotch and start, "Jacob, I think you know why we're here today. I have something you need, and regardless of how much I may hate you, you have something I desperately need as well."

I give a dramatic pause, sighing, as I wait for him to get it through his thick skull that I need what he has just as much—maybe more—than he needs those tapes. He sits taller and looks more self-assured as he finally absorbs this piece of information.

_Jacob Black is almost too easy_, I think, smirking on the inside, already itching for this conversation to be fucking over with.

"Look, Edward"—I raise an eyebrow at that—"Mr. Cullen, I mean," he says hurriedly. "With all due respect, why don't we start with what exactly it is that you want me to do? Of course…it goes without saying that once that's done, I'll get what I want too."

_He needs those tapes more desperately than I thought possible. I wonder what the fuck he's doing to that chick in them._

"What I need is very obvious, and I'm sure you know it already. I'll say it anyway." _The fucker thinks he's so suave; I'll show him suave. _"I want Bella's passport, access to the apartment she and Alice were staying at, and any and all documents of theirs you may have in your possession. Believe me when I say this, I'll be double-checking, Black," I warn him, the tone of my voice enough of a threat. "I want you to place a call right now"—I slide an untraceable phone toward him—"and absolve Bella and Alice of anything that may lead the FBI to them."

He stares at the phone for a long time. Still keeping his eyes down, he says, "Can I see the tapes?"

I hold my hand out to Emmett, who's sitting beside me on the sofa-seat, and he hands me a large brown envelope. I tap it against the table, and now all Jacob Black can focus on is that envelope. "They're all in here," I say invitingly.

"And the photos from China Town?" he asks, and I can see the excited gleam in his eyes.

"They're in here as well." I keep the envelope down and slide it minutely toward Black, tempting him. His body involuntary leans across the table. "You do what I want, Black, and these will be yours."

"Their passport and other documents are in a safe at my apartment. The keys to the apartment they were staying at are in there as well," he says instantly. "The combination is 4-1-9-0-8-3-2, and it's in the master bedroom behind the gilded frame painting of Mona Lisa."

I look at Emmett, and he immediately takes out his phone. I had a strong suspicion Black would have it all somewhere close to him, so I already had Santino drive out to his building. Emmett repeats what Jacob told us to Santino, and we patiently wait for Sonny to call back.

"While we're waiting, why don't you make the call to your colleague, Jacob?" I say, nodding toward the phone that's still kept in front of him on the table.

He nods, and his hands shake slightly as he picks up the phone and punches in the number.

_Fucking braniac this man is; I bet he remembers all the numbers in his address book. What a waste._

"Put it on speakerphone," I say, as he begins to take the phone to his ear.

He hesitantly puts it on loudespeaker, and a tight voice crackles over the phone. "_Agent Frank this side._"

_Agent Frank? Who the fuck is—Aaahhh! _Him_. Of course. Frank is his last name._

"Agent Black speaking," Jacob says, his eyes shifting about nervously.

"_Oh, hey, Boss, what do you need?"_ The voice is now more relaxed and unguarded.

"This is about Isabella Swan and Alice Brandon. I want you to delete all their records from the database, and all the research and files on them are to be destroyed immediately."

There's silence on the other side. "_Are you sure, Boss?"_

"Yes," Black snaps. "Do as I say, Frank, or I swear I'll fire your ass." He sounds flustered and desperate, and not very convincing. I click my fingers, and his eyes snap to mine. I motion for him to cool it, and he takes a deep breath. "It's confidential, Frank, but I can assure you that this is what's best. Trust me."

That does it for fucking _Frank_. He trusts his boss blindly.

"_Consider it done, Boss._"

_Fucking finally._

"Good job, Frank," Jacob says, slightly hunching in his seat. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

_Oh no, you won't, Black, no you won't._

He cuts the line and stares at me in anticipation. Just then, Emmett's phone buzzes. He talks to no doubt Sonny, and then turns to look at me.

"We have everything, Skip. Let's get a move on," Emmett says.

No sooner the words are out of his mouth that I see Jacob Black go absolutely rigid and pale.

Emmett has a gun to Black's dick under the table.

I stand up and button my suit jacket. "It was nice talking to you, Black. But we still have some unfinished business to take care of."

He laughs nervously. "What the fuck is this, Edward? I thought we had a deal."

I shrug. "I lied."

His face morphs into anger and he hisses, "You can't do shit to me with people around, asshole."

I look around at Vitolli's workers who, feeling my eyes on them, look up at me, nod, and leave the restaurant. I turn to Black and grin. "Oh, but I can, motherfucker. I can."

His face crumbles and sweat breaks out on his forehead. "Let me go, Edward, please. For old times' sake."

I laugh. "Emmett, take him out back to the fucking car."

_**A warehouse, 9:20 PM**_

"You're five minutes late, brother," Jasper says as I enter the warehouse on the outskirts of Chicago.

"I'm never late, fucker," I say, grinning as I bump his outstretched fist. "You're always just early." I take off my suit jacket and place it on the only table in the stink, dingy room, and begin to roll up my sleeves.

"I bought everything we own," Jasper says, pointing to the various, as we like to call it—"tools of interrogation". I nod, because I can see he's bought everything with him; I placed my jacket next to these very tools after all.

I call Emmett. "Bring him in now."

"_Gladly_," he chuckles, and I hear Black whimper behind him. As soon as I hear the click of the phone, I hear Emmett opening the iron doors to the warehouse and ordering Black to "move it, faggot."

I cross my arms over my chest, cross my ankles, and lean against the table, a smirk on my face as I wait patiently to see Jacob Black on that single chair in the middle of the room.

_**A/N*IF ANY OF YOU OUT THERE ARE SERIOUSLY GROSSED OUT BY STUFF, **__**DO NOT**__** READ FURTHER. THERE IS ATORTURE SESSION OF SORTS OF JACOB BLACK THAT FOLLOWS. PLEASE STOP HERE***_

_**A warehouse, 9:40 PM**_

"Bella said she fucking _hated_ you, Cullen. You meant _bullshit_ to her; she told me so. I bet the whore's slept with twenty men in all the time she's been with yo—"

I growl and punch Black in the jaw, my knuckles already bloody, my chest heaving up and down in anger and exertion. "Don't even fucking _think_ about her, you cocksucker!" I yell, slicing his cheek open with my pocket-knife. "And don't you ever fucking say her name!" I take a sharp knife, inserting it in his knee, twisting it, as his screams of agony fill the room.

I stand back, taking out the knife as his blood continues to gush out from the wound. I turn to Jasper and say, "Give me the nut-cracker."

He wordlessly hands it over to me, and I order Emmett to hold up both of Black's arms. The nut-cracker is used to slice off each finger one by fucking one. "Jasper, salt up his fucking cheek and knee, as I slowly, fucking _painfully_, cut off every single motherfucking finger he's ever touched Bella with," I say, going to stand beside Black, taking his filthy hand in mine.

He chuckles through his whimpers and growls, through his panting and tears. "I touched her so much more than you'll know, Cullen. I held her in my arms while she told me how much she hated the Mafia, and I had her complete and utter trust, while I—"

"Shut the fuck up," I bellow, and cut off his thumb. He yells out in pain, and with the slicing of his finger, Jasper rubs a handful of salt on his cheek. "This was for getting five of my best capos behind bars," I pant out, now holding his forefinger in my hands.

Just as I'm about to cut it off, I hear Emmett's laughter fill the room. "The fucker peed his pants," he says, pointing to the ground where a wet spot is forming.

"Fucking disgusting pig," I spit out. I place the nut-cracker around his finger, and chomp it down. Jasper throws salt on his knee. Black cries out. "This is for taking away her opportunity of going to LSE."

And just like that, I slice off his fingers one by one. Each time, telling him why he's one digit less, drawing out the torture.

Once that's done, I point a gun to his forehead. "And this is for calling her a whore."

And with that, I put a hole in Jacob Black's head.

_**A/N*FOR THOSE WHO SKIPPED THIS—JACOB'S DEAD AND NOW YOU CAN **__**CONTINUE READING**__** AFTER THIS. THE GORE IS OVER***_

_**Outside the warehouse, 11 PM, Edward and Jasper**_

"Tell Emmett to call Santino. They are the _only_ ones who are to know about this, and I want only them to dispose of the body, the tools, the gun, and clean the scene. Jasper, you call the reporters right now," I say, hurrying toward the car as I wipe my hands on a towel.

I hear Jasper running behind me. "Edward, man, stop! You can't go to Bella like that." He catches up to me and stops me in my tracks with his hand to my chest. "Fucking look at yourself, man! There's blood all over your shirt and pants, your shirt's torn from using the knife, and your face is covered with blood."

I look down at my shirt in surprise. I didn't realize I'd been swiping the knife so much that it tore through my loose shirt as well. I shrug, looking up at Jasper again. "It's not my fucking blood. It's his blood, and I want to wash it off at home. I have to see her, Jasper." I push him and start jogging toward my car.

Jasper runs behind me. "Edward, have you fucking lost it?!" he yells. "You'll give her a fucking heart attack!" I don't slow down, and I don't see it when Jasper catches up to me again, too focused on getting to the car to notice his hand on my chest and then his fist connecting with my jaw. "Slow the fuck down, motherfucker!" he yells in my face as I clutch my throbbing jaw.

I growl at him and push him out of my way. "Enough, Jasper."

_**~TETB~**_

_**Edward's apartment, 12:15 AM**_

As a matter of fact, I think I almost _did_ give Bella a heart attack when I showed up to the apartment looking completely bashed up and gory. What she didn't realize was that it wasn't _my_ blood, and probably thought the worst. I didn't help matters much either by literally falling at her feet, crashing down from the high of the adrenaline rush, and the distress and exhaustion finally making itself known. Good thing Alec was here to carry my limp body to the shower.

Bella lathers up my back as I stand under the scalding shower with my head pressed to the wall in front of me. Feeling her hands on me, her presence so close to my being, it takes away most of the pain and fatigue.

"Whose blood is this, Edward?" she whispers, speaking for the first time since we came into the apartment. "I can tell it isn't yours. There are no wounds anywhere."

I sigh loudly, screwing my eyes shut. "Jacob Black's."

Her hands freeze on my back followed by her sharp intake of breath. My world tilts on its axis as I think about how major these two words were. _Bella will know what a monster you really are_. A few seconds later, I feel them moving on my chest. "Is he dead?" she asks, her voice surprisingly calm.

I still her hands by holding them against my chest, as she presses her body to my back. Her head rests between my scapulas, and mine falls back as her naked skin against mine feels like I'm finally home.

"Yes, _Carina_, he is."

She nods and moves to come around and stand in front of me. I'm shocked, and liberated, to see the relief on her face. "Why is your cheek swollen?" she asks, lightly touching my swollen jaw.

"Jasper punched me to stop me from showing up here the way I did. I'm sorry for scaring you, love," I say. I wind my arms around her waist and bring her flush against my chest, not wanting there to be an inch of space between us.

"Never do that again," she scolds me, as her arms encircle my neck. "I was scared out of my fucking mind, Edward. Call the next time before you decide to give me an impromptu panic attack." She kisses my chest and hugs me tightly around the waist.

I tilt her chin up. "I love you, Bella. _The_ most. You're my life, okay?"

She smiles beautifully at me. "I love you, too, Edward. _The_ most."

I grin down at my angel and bend to kiss her sinful lips. My hands cradle her precious face, as she turns the shower off, and then her hands are back around my neck. I plunge my tongue into her hot mouth, and her taste makes me moan out load. Our tongues tangle, our hands roam, and our breaths mingle, coming out in gasps.

I break apart and kiss her flawless face, her jaw, her neck, and her lovely collarbones. My tongue tastes her perfect tits, and my mouth wraps around her hardened nipple, their taste like honey against my tongue. Bella's moans of approval, and her hands pulling desperately at my hair, make my dick turn even harder.

After I've thoroughly feasted on her tits, my mouth travels lower to her wet center. I can smell her arousal, and it makes me want to lick all of it up.

So I do.

I fall on my knees, and my mouth latches to the pink lips of her pussy. I suck them into my mouth. Bella whimpers in pleasure. I bring my hands to her throbbing centre, parting her legs further on the way, and gently open her up for me. The pads of my thumbs rub her pulsing clit as I open her further for my mouth. Feeling her so wet, so ready and swollen for me, makes me go fucking _crazy _with need.

My tongue darts out to taste her, and I growl as her sweet, salty, fucking delicious arousal explodes in my mouth. I work her over mercilessly, my tongue applying pressure, my mouth sucking at her clit, and my lips placing occasional kisses at her entrance.

"Edward," she whimpers, rocking her hips and pressing her pussy into my greedy mouth. "Oh God, baby, I'm _so_ close, oh _yeah_…" she moans. "_Ungh_…Edward."

My tongue circles her entrance and then plunges into her tight walls as she cries out my name. Her walls clench, and I can tell she's about to come. My two fingers replace my tongue, and I suck her clit into my mouth. "Come for me, _Carina_. Come now," I growl, as my fingers still inside her.

I place a single kiss over her spread, pink pussy.

She comes beautifully with a cry that sets my world on fire. I lap it all up, desperate for each drop.

"Oh God, Edward," she pants, as she comes down from her orgasm, and her knees continue to shake. "That was… Oh my _fucking_ God… that was amazing times infinity!"

I stand up and smirk as I see her post-orgasmic face—she looks radiant and drunk. It's the best thing in the whole wide world.

"Let's continue in the bedroom, baby," I say, as I squeeze her ass.

Her eyes are full of mischief as she pecks me on the lips. She takes a step away from me, toward the door, and turns to look at me over her shoulder. "I'll race you, Cullen."

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**Sorry I completely forgot about this! To all those who reminded me - Translations:**

**Non si scherza su questo, Sonny - Don't mess this up, Sonny**

**Non lo farò - I won't**

**Guarda quello che dici, Jasper - Watch what you say, Jasper**

**So? What did you think? I can't wait to hear your reviews to this one! Give it to me *grins***

**The next chapter will be up in about 9 days, and your patience is much appreciated :D**

**Don't forget to leave a review down here!**

**Till the next time *nods solemnly***

**Follow me on twitter: bellstarfics**


	25. Chapter 24: Wedding March

**Okay, you guys, I'm not going to make any excuses for the tardiness. There was a grave mishap in my family, and it's a wonder I got to writing as soon as I did. **

**Anyway, on with the chapter!**

**A huuuuge thanks to my betas Heather and Ange, and my pre-readers Jen and Phoebs. Quinn read the chapter and her reply made me smile so big. Love all you girls so much *hearts***

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoyy:)**

* * *

**Chapter song: Save the World by Aurorabrivido (cover) and Knockin' on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan**

**I have died everyday waiting for you. Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years.**

**Chapter 24**

**Wedding March**

"You know what they say about bachelorette nights?" Alice asks, staring into space.

I laugh and continue to apply my mascara. As her wedding gets closer, I get used to Alice's "you know what they say"; she comes up with the weirdest shit. "What do they say about bachelorette nights, Alice?"

She turns her eyes to me and grins, all dolled up herself. "They say that if you get drunk enough on this one night, lose all your inhibitions whatsoever, and are able to keep your hands off hot—_really_ hot—men, then your husband will never cheat on you."

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "They say nothing of this sort, and it's not like you can drink alcohol anyway, Miss Mommy-to-be. And Jasper will never cheat on you, so that's a moot point. "

She huffs on my no alcohol reminder, then giggles and lets out a dreamy sigh. "I can't believe I'm getting married to the man of my dreams tomorrow. Is this really happening, Bella?"

I smack my lips after applying cherry red lipstick, turn my head this way and that, pout my lips, fluff my hair, and inspect for any smears. Perfect.

I turn to Alice with a grin and tightly grasp her biceps. "Alice," I say, my voice excited and giddy with anticipation for my best friend, "this is all happening. Tonight is your last night as Alice Brandon, and we're going to party it up _hardcore_. Tomorrow, you're going to marry your one true love, and everything is going to turn out exactly like we planned. As of tomorrow, you're going to be Mrs. Alice Cullen."

She grins right along with me and squeals loudly. "Yes, yes, yes. We're going to party it up hardcore Alice Brandon style one last time!"

I totter over to the liquor cabinet in Edward's room in my five inch heels and pull out a Grey Goose vodka and a minty fruit shot for Alice. She wrinkles her nose as I pour her a shot, and then raises her glass to meet mine in the air. "To a night we will never forget," I say.

She clinks her glass with mine and nods, the grin permanently etched on her face. "To a night we will never forget."

_**~TETB~**_

"Ugh, what the hell happened last night?" I whimper and screw my eyes shut tighter.

Head weighing a hundred tons—check; mouth as dry as sandpaper—check; eyes protesting against any light—check.

I have a fucking hangover.

I flap around on the covers a little, rubbing my face on the downy pillows, all the while moaning and groaning.

I hear laughter. Edward's laugh. My lips curve up automatically, and I turn on my back, opening one eye to look around for him. "Edward," I whine, spotting him by the dresser, "come here."

I close my eyes again and settle into the bed comfortably once I hear his footsteps. A happy little sigh escapes my lips as I feel my man kissing my forehead, and the smell of his aftershave makes the pounding in my ears subside. Don't fucking ask me how; it just does. I hum contentedly as he wraps his arms around me, brings me to a sitting position, and hugs me tightly.

"Morning," he breathes against my neck.

I shiver and drop my head against his clavicle. "Hold me tighter," I mumble. His arms tighten around me, and his nose nuzzles my neck. "Why do I have a hangover from hell?"

I feel him grinning against my skin as he places a gentle kiss on my pulse point. "Because you can't hold your liquor, baby," he says, chuckling and removing his head from my neck. "Open your eyes."

Pulling my face away from his chest reluctantly, I slowly open my eyes.

And now, I'm looking directly into two amused, shining, _happy_, and brimming over with adoration, emerald orbs with these cute golden specks. I smile like a loon and swoon like a teenager with a crush as I stare at my early morning Edward.

"You should get up, _Carina_, it's eight fifty. You have an appointment at the salon at…nine, I'm guessing?" he says, looking at his watch around my back. That's when I notice that he's already dressed in a grey charcoal suit, the kind he wears to work.

Did I mention he only wears Armani, Gucci, or Prada suits? Did I also mention it turns me on every morning, and he fucks me against the door on the mornings that I'm almost panting with my need for him?

No? I didn't? That's too bad. I love our early morning sex-capades. And the mornings that his tongue decides to assault my pussy… Damn, those are the fucking best morn—

Wait.

Appointment at nine?

_Oh. Shit. _

"Today is Alice's wedding," I say in a quiet voice, stunned and frozen.

"Yeah…" he trails off, looking at me awkwardly.

"I'm the maid of honor."

"You are, Bella."

"I have a hangover." Last night's _activities_ assault my fuzzy brain, and I realize what a shitty friend I've been. I got piss drunk when my best friend couldn't take a sip herself?

_Oh God, I bet Alice hates me! _

I freak out. "I have a fucking hangover, and I'm sitting here in bed while I should be with Alice." I hurriedly get out and rush into the bathroom. "Oh Jesus, I'm the worst best friend in the world! I should be sued for screwing up their wedding, and God will curse me with eternal damnation." I quickly pull off the single shirt I'm wearing and jump into the shower. I look to the heavens as the water cascades down my body. "I'm so sorry, God! I swear I'll make it up to Alice, just don't mess up this day for them. I'll grovel at her feet, and I'll go to church every Sund—uh…every month. Just _please_, okay? Okay."

I nod to myself, satisfied that I've bribed God enough, and quickly lather my body and leave my hair the mess it is. I'll just have to ask them to shampoo it for me at the salon. Hastily stepping out of the shower, I get dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, comb through my wet hair as much as I can, and then start the hunt for my phone.

"Edward," I say, jumping around on the huge bed, searching for my phone. "Can you ring my phone? I can't find it."

"Bella, I think it's still in your purse," he replies with a chuckle from his position against the en suite's doorframe, where he's been standing and watching me run around like a bobbing chicken, occasionally laughing at me.

"Oh, right," I mumble. "I knew that."

Going through my missed calls, I see one from Alice at eight thirty. Just_ one_. She must be angrier than I thought…

"Alice called me and asked me to tell you that she'll see you at the salon," Edward supplies, appearing at my side and kissing my head, as I stupidly stare at my phone.

I nod and sigh. "Okay, I'll just head over there then. You need to go help out Jasper right? Don't you have some best man duties to take care of?"

He wraps his arms around me and kisses my neck. "Yeah, I have lots of stuff to do," he says between kisses. "I'd like to kiss my girlfriend first, then I'd like to make love to her, then fuck—"

I quickly turn my head and kiss Edward on the cheek. If he continues, we'll both be late, and right now, I really can't afford that. "Okay, bye."

I turn and slide out of his arms, laughing. I've not even taken a step when his hand catches my wrist, and he pulls my chest to his. His eyes stare into mine, and then he crashes his lips to my gaping mouth. His tongue explores my mouth thoroughly, and Edward's love exploding inside me makes me completely forget about deadlines.

"Mmmm…" I moan, and Edward squeezes my ass. He pulls his mouth away from mine, and with one last peck, releases me completely.

"I'll see you later, _Carina_." He caresses my cheek, and I smile up at him like a lovesick fool.

"Laters, baby," I say, thinking back to that one time I'd called him Christian Grey. We've definitely come a long way since then.

Turns out, Alice herself slipped me drink after drink last night, encouraging me to down mine as well as her share. When I showed up at the salon all apologetic and hassled, Alice smiled sheepishly at me and said, "Uh…sorry?"

_**~TETB~**_

"Oh my God, look at you!" Can people stop with the screeching already? "You look, like,_ so_ hot in that white gown. I mean, you also look, like, _so_ pretty and—" A dramatic pause and gasp follows. Bimbo Bombollina (one of Edward's associates' wife) gushes, "Is that _Vera Wang_?"

I'm rudely shuffled off to the side as Bambi (she prefers people to call her that) rushes to Alice who is getting ready in Esme's guest room. Alice has filled me in on how dense Bambi really is since I haven't met her personally yet. The Bimbo Bambi can't stop jumping up and down around a hassled Alice who has a pained smile on her lips. I check my watch—the wedding starts in twenty minutes, and Alice still needs to do the final touch-up.

I walk over to the Jumping Jack Bambi and lightly pat her shoulder. She turns to look at me with a scowl on her face. "What?" she growls.

I raise an eyebrow at her tone, taken aback. Clearly she doesn't know who I am either, or she'd be kissing my feet right now—that's just how it has been these days. EC's girlfriend is the shizz. Snort.

"Alice needs to get ready, so can I request you to step outside, please?" I say, as cool as a cucumber and as polite as a pie.

She snorts condescendingly and gives me a once-over. Looking at my royal blue Vera Wang bridesmaid dress makes her stop for a minute, realizing that I'm probably with the wedding party, and drop the attitude. She smiles weakly at me and says, "Uh…you are…?"

I give her a saccharine smile and extend my hand. "Hi, I'm Bella Swan, Edward Cullen's girlfriend."

Her eyes go wide, and she starts to cough. "Umm…oh. Right. Hello, Miss Swan, what an _absolute_ pleasure to meet you." She enthusiastically shakes my hand. "You look stunning and…" She seems to be going through the pea-sized vocabulary in her brain it seems. "And…_lovely_, if I may say so."

I shake my head and hold in the laughter. "Okay, thank you. Now do you mind stepping outside for a while? I'm sure Ramon here can guide you to your seat." Ramon walks over to us and takes away a rambling Bambi.

With that done, I turn to Alice who looks at me in the same moment, a million dollar smile lighting her face. She smooths her hands down her fitting white lace gown, with a sweetheart neckline and a golden belt around the waist. She bites her lip and whispers, "Do I look okay?"

I have a sudden urge to cry, to laugh, and shriek with the utter _joy_ I feel for Alice in that instant. For everything we've been through, for all the years she's loved Jasper, it's about damn time thing worked out for her!

I hug her lightly, careful not to ruin anything. "You look like a dream, Ali," I whisper in her ear, my voice thick with emotions. "A beautiful dream that's about to get better when you walk down that aisle, when you walk with your husband. And a reality that'll be better than the dream itself when you leave later for your honeymoon in Maldives."

I let her go and stand back, smiling at the look of elation on her face. "Shit, Bella, you're going to make me cry—"

"Awwww," Daniel coos, breaking the moment. His ever faithful camera is snapping away in our faces. "You girls are getting all mushy and giving me such amazing shots."

I turn to him in irritation. "Daniel, go click the guys outside."

He giggles, yes _giggles_. "Gladly."

"Hey, you two, are we done with the moosh already?" Rose asks, grabbing her bridesmaid bouquet along with my maid of honor one, she sashays over to us. Handing me my light blue rose and blue orchid bouquet, she turns to Alice with a grin. "You look like a billion bucks, Ali. And would you look at the heels? They make you look so tall and thin. Now, quickly put the earrings on, it's almost time."

We had all been surprised when Alice had asked Rose to be one of the bridesmaids along with Alice's cousin. But Alice being Alice had looked at us awkwardly and said, "She's like my sister too, you know, of course I asked her." After that, Rose was one hundred percent Team Alice.

And Alice, who is astonishingly mellow today, simply thanks Rose and puts the screws on the diamond solitaire earrings that were Edward and my gift to her. We'd made sure it was platinum base, since the Italian bride wasn't allowed to wear any gold until the rings were exchanged. We had decided to keep the wedding as close to the Italian culture as we could, except the Church part. Alice had a thing for backyard weddings, so a Church wedding had been a no-no from the beginning.

In Italian weddings, the bride and groom are supposed to walk down the aisle together. So, all of us hurry toward the entrance to the backyard where Jasper stands, stoic and waiting for his bride with a glowing smile on his face and an iron piece in his pocket as per tradition.

On seeing him, Alice visibly relaxes and her feet come to a halt only when she's right next to Jasper. Her eyes meet mine, waiting for my cue.

As soon as I hear the Wedding March begin to play, I step in front of the couple to enter first and say, "It's time."

_**~TETB~**_

"Alice Brandon and Jasper Cullen, having thus committed themselves, now wish to declare their love for one another in words that they have written," the minister says. A giddy anticipation buzzes through me as I, along with everyone else, wait with baited breath to hear the vows that Alice and Jasper wrote together for each other.

Jasper begins, "On this day, I give you my heart, my promise that I will walk with you, hand in hand, wherever our journey leads us, living, learning, loving, together." There is a slight pause as he takes in a breath and looks into Alice's eyes. "Forever. _Ti amo_."

A single tear escapes my eye as I hear these perfect words, and the love I feel for Edward seems all-consuming all of a sudden. One day, I know we'll be in the same place, feeling the same things, and saying the same words.

My eyes find Edward's shining green ones, as Alice says the same words. "On this day, I give you my heart, my promise that I will walk with you, hand in hand, wherever our journey leads us, living, learning, loving, together. Forever. I love you"

The minister says, "Please join hands, look into each other's eyes, and repeat after me." Hands are joined and the minister continues. "I, Jasper Cullen, take thee, Alice Brandon, for my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live."

Jasper repeats after the minister. Seeing the smile on Alice's face grow wider as Jasper says this is like watching the sun burst through the horizon.

My eyes lock with Edward once again and he mouths, "I love you." I grin and blow him a kiss, mouthing, "I love you too."

Just like Jasper, Alice repeats after the minister, every word ringing true and clear. Jasper looks smitten and delirious with joy as Alice ends her part.

"You may now kiss the bride."

There are hollers and claps and hoots and woots and lots of whistling as Jasper bends low to kiss Alice.

Two hours later, as the reception party is in full swing, I plop down on a chair, panting and exhausted from the crazy dancing that's been on for what seems like forever now. Taking off the heels, I rub my sore foot, and my head automatically falls back as my eyes close in exhaustion.

Suddenly, my hand is replaced by another calloused, stronger hand massaging my foot. My eyes fly open, and I see Edward sitting on the chair beside mine with my foot in his lap.

I pull my leg back, but he holds fast to it. "Edward," I say, "you don't have to do that! I'm fine."

He rolls his eyes and continues to knead my flesh with his sinful fingers. An involuntary moan escapes me as I feel the soreness leave my foot. I sigh happily and say, "Okay, please continue doing that."

He laughs, switches to the other foot, and I moan and groan along.

"Bella," he says after a while as we sit together with my head on his chest, crowd-gazing. Edward's been telling me who's who, and I have a good laugh every time someone new comes up to us to suck-up to me to get in good with Edward.

"Hmm?"

"Come with me." He suddenly gets up and holds his hand out.

I place mine in his without question, and he leads me into the house. We climb the stairs in silence and finally emerge on the terrace.

"Wow," I whisper, looking around. I've never been to this part of the Cullens' house—it's a terrace garden. There is a single, small comforter in the middle with a canopy over it. You can sit there while it rains, and there is also a mini-fridge next to it. These Cullens don't do anything half-assed, do they?

"Yeah, I know," Edward says, smirking at me, and walks over to the sitting. He settles on the sofa, and I kick off my heels once again and curl myself against his chest and between his legs. "Did I tell you, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight?" he says.

"Only about one hundred times," I say, laughing lightly. "But thank you anyway."

"This is nice," I comment a little while later, staring out into the twilight as Edward draws circles with his thumb on my stomach. "Don't you need to be down there to meet-and-greet with all the "important" people?"

"Hmm," he hums into my shoulder, non-committal.

I laugh and wrap my arms around his against my stomach. He places soft kisses along my neck, my shoulder, the nape of my neck, and then under my ear. "You're unusually content today. What's up?" I ask. He's usually a little more demanding and possessive, his sweet as sugar antics come out only when he's _really_ happy. Like, the kind of happy where world peace exists.

"You know," he begins, "when I first saw you eating a toffee apple in the Forks Fair, my first thought had been 'Jeesh, that's one messy girl.'" I laugh, remembering the day when I'd offered him the same toffee apple because we'd been taught that very day in school that sharing is caring. We'd become friends instantly. "Never in my life did I think that you'd be the sun around which my entire universe revolves. From kids to teenagers to adults, you've been my constant, Bella. Even though we weren't together for seven years, my heart was always right where yours was, always thinking about you, loving you, wanting you, and needing you like air. Without you, I feel like I can't breathe, even with a windpipe as clean as a whistle. We've been away, but we've been together more."

I tighten my arms around his and turn my face up to look at him. He's staring back at me with an expression so adoring that it jerks awake the tear ducts in my eyes. "Edward…" I whisper, unsure of where he's going with this.

"You're the best thing that's happened to me, and I'm not losing out on you anytime ever." His finger trails down my cheekbone. "I love every single detail about you, and I swear to God I'm never gonna stop loving you. My feelings for you are everlasting and eternal and forever, and I really do mean it with all my heart. Keeping you happy is my only motive and aim in life now, Bella."

Tears jump to my eyes, my throat thickens, and I take in a shuddering breath. _Oh God, this man… _"Edward, you—"

He silences me with a whisper of a kiss. "Every passing second with you is filled with blissful happiness, and I swear I'm literally ecstatic when you're around. Trust me when I say this, I can conquer the entire world with one hand as long as you're holding the other. You know how I'm a little bit of a theist, right? Well, I really literally pray to God every day, thanking him for making you fall for me and that we never let go of each other. You're everything I could have dreamed of in the most perfect girlfriend for me."

I shake my head, the tears now running down freely. "It's all you, Edward. You're perfect, and you make me whole, you liberate me," I say, my very soul burning with the intensity of my love for him, his love for _me_. Combined, it's an explosive, all-encompassing feeling.

His eyes convey so much more than his words do. "Isabella Swan, _you're _the one that ignites my soul with one look. _You_ make animals jump inside of me, not just butterflies. _You _are the one who makes my insides melt. _You _are the one who sets my heartbeat racing._ You_ are the one for whom I can give my life for and take as well."

He says this with all seriousness, and the thing is, I don't hesitate when I say, "So can I."

He holds me tighter. "Please understand what I'm about to say all right? _You_ are the most perfect artwork of God ever, and that's exactly why I want you only for me, forever and ever. Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

_Oh God._

I gasp, and my eyes grow wide as Edward looks on at me with hope and a little bit of trepidation. "Yes," I whisper through the endless tears. "I love you, Edward, and God, _yes_, I'll marry you. You think the minister's still here? I don't think he'll be against performing another little ceremo—"

He silences my senseless ramble with a passionate kiss, and then I feel him slide a cold metal ring around the third finger on my left hand. He breaks away from my lips, panting, and rests his forehead against mine. "Thank you for agreeing to be my wife," he says. "_Ti amo, Carina._"

"I love you, Edward, more than life, more than anything," I say softly, my eyes staring into his soulful, vibrant green orbs, as my hand rises up to caress his jaw.

He chuckles lightly. "Don't you want to see your ring?" he asks, slightly amused and, by the looks of it, a little scared of my reaction.

I sit back an inch and look at my left hand. "Right. The ring," I say, as a face-splitting smile involuntarily spreads across my lips.

The centre diamond is set in a square base, and though I don't know much about cuts, I_ think_ it's a cushion cut. All around the centre diamond and the platinum band, there are little diamonds that sparkle as I wiggle my fingers.

"Do you like it?" he asks. I look up at him to see an insecure expression on his face. I almost want to laugh at that. _How can I not like it?_ "The guy at Tiffany said it's a Legacy ring or something, and I thought it'd suit you perfectly. It's a classic, just as your beauty is. I think it looks gorgeous on your delicate finger, baby," he finishes his practiced spiel with a deep breath. "So," he hints when I don't say anything, "you do like it right?"

I throw my arms around his neck and hug him tightly. "I love love _love_ it. Thank you so much." I rain kisses on his face, as he laughs and holds me tightly against his chest. "Can we make love, Edward?"

Right now, I just want to feel him inside me, filling me with himself. "Right now?" he asks, stunned. "Here?"

"Yes," I say and pull him down on top of me, and he grinds his hips into my thigh while giving in, and starts sucking, licking and nipping at me, from my lips down to my chest.

He unzips my dress from the back, and it easily slips down my body to reveal my bra-less state. My skin breaks out in goose bumps in the night air, and my royal blue lace covered pussy is throbbing with need for him.

"Mmmm, yessss," I hiss as he pulls a puckered nipple into his mouth. His light stubble burns on my soft skin, but I actually happen to like it. I scratch my fingernails down his suit covered back and dig them into his ass, causing him to grunt in desire.

I start squirming under him and push his shoulders. I want to bury my nose right under his jaw where his delectable scent is the most concentrated, but I simply shove him once more, and then bury my face in his neck and start sucking on his pulse point. He falls back, allowing me to roll on top of him, my full body weight, slight as it is, pressing into him in all the right places.

I straddle his hips, now completely bare except the panties and my new accessory—my ring. I unbuckle his pants and take his swollen and stiff cock into my hands. I stroke him up and down, running my thumb over its head. He reaches up to cup my tits. He's teasing my sensitive nipples with gentle tugs and full palm massages, spurring me on to cry out and raise my hips. He quickly pulls my panties down my legs, and then continues his ministrations on my tits.

As I continue to stroke his cock, his one hand travels down to my pussy, his fingers coating themselves in my wetness, making me moan and writhe above him. I remove one hand from his cock and join his fingers in teasing my soaked pussy. It's heaven in its purest form.

Removing my hand as I take his along with mine, I coat his lips with my wetness on my fingers as he coats mine with his fingers. I bend to kiss him and slowly, I sink down on his hard cock and hum, pausing when my ass makes full contact with his pelvis. His eyes roll back in his head; the slick, tightness of my pussy is already starting to pulse around him.

He removes his hand from my breasts, and I thread my fingers through his. We hold hands in mid-air as I start to rise and fall, rolling my hips and whimpering every few seconds. He helps by digging his feet into the mattress and pushing his hips up to meet my downward motion.

My eyes flutter closed when he thrusts particularly deep. My mouth falls open in silence, but I'm audibly sighing and moaning in no time, fully engulfed in the passion of our moment.

"You're too far away." He pulls me forward so that I collapse onto his chest. "I need you closer," he whispers before plunging his tongue back into my mouth. His arms wrap tightly around my back, and I start riding him faster, harder. Our kisses don't cease; Edward's lips are my addiction, and I can't get enough.

Our mutual grunting is only drowned out by the sound of my ass slapping against his hips. After coming up for air from our unending lip-lock, I push up from his embrace and run my fingers through my wild mane of hair that have fallen loose from their elegant curls. His hands fly to my hips, and he assists in lifting me up and down on his throbbing cock.

"Arch back a little, baby," he grunts while his fingers run from my waist down to my clit. There's plenty of moisture gathered down there, so he teases me where we're joined and then begins to flick and play with my small bundle of nerves. I begin to vibrate, the smell of sex thick in the air around us.

"Faster Edward, rub me faster," I cry out shamelessly, as I rock above him, needing him to do…_something_. _Oh God, I'm almost there_. Seconds later, I can feel my inner walls clenching, tugging and pulsing around his cock.

And then Edward spurts his semen into me. I follow right after.

"_Fuck!_" He screams out. His eyes are sealed shut, and I bounce harder, drawing every ounce of delicious pleasure from him. He gasps out a "goddamn," raising his head up off the pillow to watch as I slow my movements.

Still panting from my orgasm, my hands run from my hair, down my body, grasping roughly at my tits, over my stomach until I find his abs under his shirt and begin a trail in the opposite direction up his body. Leaning over him, once my hands reach his shoulders, I give him a tug, asking him without words to sit up with me.

Silently, we sit in the middle of the comforter, exchanging breaths and sensual kisses while my fingers just graze his face. My thumb rubs over his lips, and I dip down to kiss him once more.

"Thank you," I whisper against his lips.

He laughs loudly and says, "Dammit, Bella, thank _you_."

I chuckle and bow my head. "My pleasure," I say.

"I bet, baby," he says, grinning and kissing me once more. "But truly, it was _my_ pleasure."

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**So? No hating now? *grins***

**Next chapter will be up soon since I've already written it and all. **

**Don't forget to leave a review down here with all your thoughts! Love always *hugs and kisses***

**Till the next time *waves and bows out***

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	26. Chapter 25: It's Happening

**Hello, lovely people! Here's the next chapter, and I hope you like this. Thanks so much for all those who reviewed, alerted, favorited, tweeted and read this story. Lovin' you guys! **

**Also, I don't think some of you got the alert for the last chapter, but I couldn't do anything about it, so I apologize on behalf of FF (grrr!) and maybe you can go back and read it now, review maybe if you want? *shrugs* We all now how well FF works. Not.**

**Thanks to Jen, Phoeb, Heather and Ange. So much love for my girls!**

**Disclaimer: No ownership of Twilight here.**

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**How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. -Robert Frost**

**Chapter 25**

**It's Happening**

_**Forks, 2001**_

_**EPOV**_

_I don't even know what to say to that. I mean, love is all about forgiveness and sacrifice right? You forgive those who you love and you don't hold grudges. That's how it's supposed to be._

_But does the same rule apply when your best friend for life and after tells you that she doesn't really want to marry you in the future because marriages suck and they don't work out?_

"_Bella, you do love me right?" I ask again, for confirmation purposes, you know._

_She looks at me like I'm dense and gives me her "duh" face. "Edward, just because I said I don't want to consider marriage when I'm ten years old doesn't mean I don't love you!"_

"_Yeah, but…I'm twelve, Bells. I have to sort my future out. I mean, if you won't accept when I propose when we're both eighteen, then what's the point of all this studying? Who am I going to earn the money for anyway?"_

_She huffs and rolls her eyes, wriggling on the hard bench in the cafeteria. "You've seen how my parents fight all the time, Ed. I don't like to fight, so we can't get married. You're my best friend, best friends aren't supposed to fight. If we marry, we'll fight—that's how marriage works." And then she nods matter-of-factly. _

Bullshit, I say.

_I try to reason with her. "But my mom and dad don't fight," I point out desperately. Bella has to marry me when we grow up. That was the plan!_

_She waves her hand like it's no big deal. "Carlisle and Esme don't count." She then lowers her voice and leans toward me like she's going to tell me the biggest secret ever. "I have a theory that Carlisle and Esme are magical. The way they love each other exists only in my fairytale books."_

_I grin at the all-serious look in her pretty, brown eyes. "No, silly, I love you like that too. Always have and always will," I say in all honesty and nod solemnly, promising her that I will always love her this much no matter what._

_Her face breaks out into a beaming smile that automatically triggers my own lips to stretch wider in a grin. "Really?" she asks, excited and _so _cute. "Just like Carlisle and Esme?"_

_I nod again and wink at her. "Yup, just like Mom and Dad."_

_She throws her arm around me and hugs me tightly. I love how she smells. It's awesome. "Thank you, Edward, you rock. I love you."_

_My heart just wants to burst with happiness every time she tells me she loves me. "I love you too, Bella."_

_She pulls back and looks at me challengingly, a smirk on her pretty face. "Oh yea? How much?"_

_I point to the open sky and say, "That much."_

_She wrinkles her nose at that and says haughtily, "That's it? You love me just as much as one finger?"_

_I look down at my outstretched index finger, confused, and then back at Bella. "What? No, Bells, I love you _that _much." I emphasize by pointing to the sky and looking up, titling her chin along with mine._

_Her eyes brighten and she squeals giddily. "Ohhhhh," she drawls. "Awesome! I love you that much too, Edward!" _

"_So," I ask hopefully, "will you marry me then?"_

_She loses all expression and stares at me with a straight face, the one she calls her "you're too dumb for my expressions" face, and says, "No."_

_**~TETB~**_

_**BPOV**_

You know that moment in time when you feel at peace with the world? That moment when the world isn't tilted on its axis and you realize happiness is not just another word in the dictionary.

And that moment when you wake up with the delicious smell of fresh cream, waffles and strawberries filling your nostrils and making your mouth water. Breakfast food is my guilty pleasure.

"Mmmm," I moan appreciatively, and open my eyes to see a hand waving a piece of waffle under my nose. I gravitate toward the heavenly smell and sit up with my body trailing behind my head as the hand teases me by taking the waffle further away. "Give me that waffle," I growl as the hand continues to move away from me.

"Nuh uh. Get out of the bed and into the shower first, Bella. I'm going to take you out somewhere today." And the hand disappears from my line of vision along with the waffle. _Dammit._

I slide out of bed and shove Edward aside in exasperation as he laughs and tells me to hurry up. "You're so annoying in the morning," I complain from the bathroom as I do my business at the pot and then wash my face. "You should come with a warning sign: 'I annoy people in the morning. Marry at your own risk.' Ugh."

We still hadn't told people that we were engaged. It had been a week since Alice and Jasper's wedding, and they'd left for their three-week-long honeymoon in Maldives. It just didn't seem right to steal their thunder so soon after the wedding, so we were waiting to tell everyone once Alice and Jasper got back.

I hear Edward's musical laughter again, and my irritation lifts a little. "Firstly, we're only engaged, and even that's been for a week. Secondly—" Suddenly, he's behind me with his hands wrapped tightly around my waist and his chin on my shoulder as we stare at us in the mirror "—you love me way too much to let my annoyance be bothersome."

I grin and shake my head, loving him more and more and more.

_Being in love with you makes every morning worth getting up for, baby._

"I love you _that _much," I say, pointing to the sky visible from the window in the bathroom.

He looks confused for a second, and then I see in the mirror as his face lights up as realization dawns on him. He turns his green eyes back to meet my twinkling ones in our reflection and says, "I love you that much too, Bella. Maybe more; the sky's certainly not the limit. And I'm glad you finally agreed to marry me. The worried twelve-year-old Edward can breathe easy now."

My eyes moisten as I think about how much he's always loved me, how we were always meant to be this—_us_. Edward's Bella, and Bella's Edward. I turn around in his arms and finally look up into my _fiancé's_ adoring and mischievous green eyes. "Fuck, I love you so much," I whisper, as my hand rises to caress his features.

He beams at me like I just promised him the moon and then bends low to capture my lips with his. Sparks fly around us as he lifts me up, and I wind my legs around him. He settles me down on the counter in the bathroom, still kissing me fervently. His hands start to unbutton my-_his_ shirt that I'd slept in last night, and we break apart for just a second so he can take the offending piece of material completely off. His hands hungrily travel over my bare body like he wants to touch all of me at once.

Edward moves slowly away from my mouth and travels, kissing lightly, down to my breasts. His tongue snakes out over my hardened, pink nipple, and my fingers immediately bury themselves in his hair. I moan loudly as he takes my nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. His slight stubble leaves burns on my tits as he moves his cheeks back and forth on my skin, marking me.

"Ugh…_Edward_," I shriek, as he lightly bites down on my nipple. While his mouth works over my tits, his hands knead my ass. I grind my pelvis into the air, seeking a little friction…something…_anything_.

Extreme need builds up inside of me, and I'm seriously worried I'm going to combust before he gets his clothes off. I pull at his grey t-shirt and growl, "Off. Now."

He steps back and pulls the t-shirt off, his tracks follow, and then finally we're skin to skin, mouth to mouth. Suddenly, his touch is gone and his mouth as well. I open my eyes in surprise to find him on his knees in front of me, his face in front of my bare pussy.

"Fucking _hell_, Edward," I moan loudly and throw my head back as my fingers once again twine with his soft hair.

"God, you smell so fucking good." His head is low and still pressed against me, his voice is everything erotic and seductive against the throbbing heat of my centre.

His hands spread my legs until I'm wide and open for his mouth. His fingers simply whisper over my inner thigh as I pant with need. _Why isn't he doing something?!_

His thumb caresses the lips of my pussy, and his eyes stare at it like he's inspecting artwork. He looks up at me suddenly, winks, and his tongue darts out as he moans, taking a taste of me, his eyes locked with mine.

"Jesus _Christ_," I cry and then pant, fisting his hair tighter.

My knees begin to shake, and my chest heaves up and down from the intensity of the sensations of his tongue lapping against my sensitive centre. He licks and swipes his tongue, kissing my lower lips with the eagerness of a thirsty man. Edward's lips latch onto my clit, sucking and teasing, eliciting another cry from me. He sucks and bites at my clit, as I lift my hand from his hair, up to my breasts, and knead them, pinching my nipples, desperate for release.

Just as suddenly as he'd left my mouth, I feel his wet lips against mine once again. His hard body is pressed against mine as he holds me tightly to his chest, our tongues entangling. I taste myself on him, going mad with need, and my hand finds his swollen cock as I align him against my opening.

His eyes fly open, and he pulls back to stare at me. "You're beautiful you know that?" he says, his husky voice surprisingly mellow.

"You make sure I know that," I say, biting my lip.

His hands travel over the length of the back of my legs, and then he wraps them tighter around his waist. I jump off the counter, throwing my arms around him.

We both moan together as his tip slides inside of me. He gently kisses the tip of my nose and whispers, "I try, _Carina_, I try."

And then he thrusts deep into me.

_**~TETB~**_

"Edward, will you just tell me where the hell are we going?" I ask for the umpteenth time as he continues to drive wherever he's driving us to. "And is this blindfold really necessary?"

I feel him take a sharp turn and then switch the engine off abruptly. "We're here!"

I roll my eyes in my head—because I can't actually roll them—and say, "That's great. Now please take the wretched thing off of my eyes." I hear him open his door and then slam it shut. _Umm…hello? Blind woman in the car here._ "Edward? Where the fuck did'ju go?" I say loudly, not sure if he's around or not.

I hear his reply from somewhere far off. He yells, "Ah, shit. Umm…you can just untie the blindfold yourself and come up here. I really want you to see this, so I had to hurry to get the keys."

"Could've told me earlier," I mumble as I untie the black piece of cloth. I blink several times into the sudden light, and then my eyes focus on…an empty street. _Huh?_

I get out of the car uncertainly and shout out, "Scooby-doooo, where are you?"

I hear Edward snort. "Up here, Shaggy," he yells back to me, and I turn to my right.

I don't really want to be presumptuous and assume anything which might not actually even be true, but…_fuck_! Is Edward planning on buying _this _house? He's said only about one thousand times how we're going to buy a new house to raise a family in and all that.

I quickly walk up the gorgeous driveway lined by trees that give it more of an archway feel, huge gardens stretching out beside the stony path that leads up to the main entrance. As I walk further in, I get the distinct feeling of walking through a meadow. It's gorgeous.

I reach the porch and see Edward standing there holding the keys in front of him like a talisman, his face stretched into an excited grin. "Surprise, baby!"

_No way!_

I gasp and look at the huge house, then back at Edward, and then back at the house. "You bought this house already?"

He looks confused and then says, "What? No. I mean…not _yet_. But I've short-listed the best ones, and I thought we could start house-hunting today. So, well, do you wanna check it out?"

I breathe a sigh of relief and nod. "Sure. Lead the way." I wave my hand in front of me, and Edward unlocks the Maplewood door. Beside the main doorway, there are glass panes on the both sides and concrete jutting out above our heads with a single lantern hanging from it. There are pillars holding up the piece that give the entrance an almost regal yet welcoming feel. It's the perfect porch.

But the best part is that Edward didn't go overboard and select an over-the-top, ostentatious and humongous bungalow for us. It's perfectly sized—not too large and not too little.

Edward unlocks the door and stands back, but before I can take another step forward, I'm suddenly up in his arms. I yelp and latch my hands to his shoulders. "What are you doing?!"

Walking into the house, he looks down with his signature Edward-smirk and says, "Carrying you over the threshold."

I laugh as he sets me down once we're inside and bends down to kiss me quickly on the lips. "Okay, so where do we start the tour from?" I ask, excited, and look around the huge vacant space. The floors are pristine Italian marble, large French-windows are scattered throughout the ground floor, and as I look a little further left, I see what I'm guessing is the living room with wooden flooring.

My first impression of the house has left me awed and so in love with it.

"There's this little problem," Edward starts. I look at him expectantly. "Umm…see, there are basically five French-windows on the ground floor alone. But…" He suddenly looks very serious and…a little sad. It immediately puts a nervous edge to my every thought. He continues. "Baby, we'll have to remove at least two to three of these because it's not safe to have so many windows. You know what I'm saying here?" He looks at me pleadingly, begging for me to understand.

Honestly? I do understand. And it's not that big of a deal; they're just a few windows. Given what he does, I want him to feel completely safe every day he returns home. And as Edward says this, I realize that we'll probably have to make a lot of changes in the house…for safety purposes.

I smile at him and cup his cheek. "We can do whatever you feel is safe, Edward."

He sighs in relief and nods like a huge weight just lifted off his shoulders. An exultant smile replaces his worried expression and the nervous tick to my thoughts slithers away.

He gives me a small tour of the kitchen; I like it, it's big and airy, and comes with a breakfast bar. After the kitchen, he shows me to two medium-sized guest bedrooms. Before I can look over the whole thing properly, though, he quickly ushers me to the living room stating, "You can see all that later. This is the _best_ part. You _have _to see the living room."

As soon as we enter the living room, he gives me approximately seventeen seconds to admire the fireplace and estimate the large size, before he's pulling me toward the floor-to-ceiling glass doors that probably lead to the backyard. "Edward," I complain, "you said this was the _best _part. Let me fucking _see_ the best pa—"

"_This _is the best part," he says smugly, as he no doubt takes in the stunned and thoroughly impressed expression.

"Wooaahhhh," I drawl. "That is fucking awesome! Oh my God, I love it!"

The two doors through the living room lead to the backyard and a pool, complete with a wooden sitting area and lounge chairs.

_A pool. Fucking A!_

"Right?" he says. "And the poolside is perfect for barbequing, the pool is large enough to easily fit in twenty people, and there's _still_ more space to build a jungle gym sort of a thing for the…kids," he ends sheepishly and looks at me with a bashful grin on his face.

Kids. Edward's kids. _Our_ kids.

_Bring it on, I say!_

"It really is perfect," I mumble, seeing my entire future mapped out right in front of me. I turn to Edward with a smirk. "So, where's the master bedroom?"

We walk into the house once again and hurry up the winding marble staircase. On the first floor, there are three other bedrooms which Edward explains are definitely for the kids. I ask him if he honestly expects me to pop out three of them, and he replies with, "Nope. I was actually thinking four." But before I can laugh in his face at that, he swings open the door to the master bedroom, and my mouth closes shut.

There is a little corridor sort of a thing with a door to the en suite and bathroom on one side and another door to a small empty room which I assume is for a walk-in wardrobe. As we walk three steps through the corridor and emerge into the room, I instantly blurt out, "When are we buying this house?"

Edward laughs and takes out a bundle of papers from his back pocket, waving it temptingly in front of my face. "Now. If you want to that is."

I stare at him with an eyebrow raised. "I think we should go through those other houses you short-listed as well." I know him well enough to know there _are_ no other houses on that "list" of his. Once he's had his mind set on something, that's that for Edward.

"Umm…" He looks around the room sheepishly and says, "But you like this right? Forget about the…umm…the other houses."

I roll my eyes, chuckle, and shake my head. "Okay, Edward."

I leave him to feel awkward by himself, handing over my purse to him so that my hands can freely explore the room. I walk round the far end, envisioning a king-sized bed, two side tables with lamps beside it, and a humongous flat screen TV mounted on the opposite wall. The wall adjacent to my envisioned bed-side is covered with a row of windows that overlook the backyard and beyond. Further ahead, there's another door that opens into a small balcony.

I step out into the fresh air and notice a large oak tree beside the balcony that swathes it in its shade. I stand with my arms on the railing and close my eyes at the utter serenity of the place as the wind flaps my hair about. I know, I just _know_ I'm going to live here with the man I love.

I've never really had an image of the kind of house I wanted to live in, or what colors the walls and curtains should be, or whether there should be two or three rooms, or if there should be a backyard or not. But now, now I _know _what colors I want my walls and curtains and bed sheets to be. I know it, and I want it all so bad that I can almost taste it.

I'm jolted out of my thoughts as I feel Edward walk in. I turn around with a beaming smile on my face, ready to confirm that I want this house, when I see his blank expression.

"You have a call," he says emotionlessly, hands my phone to me, and walks out of the room.

I look at my phone uncertainly and bring it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Is this Miss Isabella Swan?" the voice asks. The accent.

_Fuck. It's them._

"Y-yes," I whisper, sliding down on the floor with my hand pressed to my forehead.

_I'm so, so sorry, baby._

"Hello, Miss Swan," the man says cheerily. "I'm Nicolas Wales calling on behalf of the Admissions Office of London School of Economics. We're calling to inform you that based on your credits, your petition has been re-considered and you have been admitted into our one year Financial Economics course. The new semester starts in exactly two weeks, but you will have a lot to catch up to. Everything has been described in great detail in an email sent to you. Do you have any questions?"

"No, that'd be all. I'll be sure to check my mail soon. Thank you so much," I say, my voice cracking in the end.

"Glad to have you joining the LSE family, Miss Swan."

The line goes dead.

This is all I've ever wanted, I'm getting a second chance at my dream, and suddenly, it's not enough. LSE is not the most important anymore, and the one who is—he just walked out on me.

"Fuck," I whisper. I quickly struggle up from the floor of the balcony and run out of the room. "Edward!" I yell. There's no answer. I run down the staircase and frantically search in the living room, the backyard, the kitchen, shouting out his name. He's not here.

I burst out of the house and look about. The car is still standing out in the street. And sitting in the driver's side is Edward.

I sprint to the car and yank open to the passenger side door, sliding into the seat slightly out of breath.

"Congratulations," he says in a voice just as dead as earlier.

This is the worst kind of Edward—the kind that's lost hope and doesn't find it necessary to even _feel_.

The kind that makes me scared as all hell.

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**Okay, so this was initially one huge chapter, but then I decided to break it into 2 parts so I could get it out to you guys faster. Next update will definitely be next week! Don't hate *cowers***

**I love you all that much *points to the sky* ;)**

**Leave a review down here! Puts a huge (creepy?) smile on my face every time I read one from y'all! Also, I'd love for those of you who didn't receive the last chapter to go through it and leave your thoughts!**

**Till the next time!**

**Follow me on twitter: bellstarfics**


	27. Chapter 26: Knock It Off

**Hey, you guys! Here's the next chapter. Thanks so, so much for all your kind words with the previous chapter! For all of those who hated Bella in the last chap and thought their relationship was cracking, I hope this sets things right for you!**

**A huge thanks as always to Heather, Ange, Jen and Phoebs. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. We already knew that right? Right.**

**Enjoyy!**

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**I spent my whole life trying not to be careless. Women and children can afford to be careless, but not men. –Don Corleone**

**Chapter 26**

**Knock It Off**

_This is all I've ever wanted, I'm getting a second chance at my dream, and suddenly, it's not enough. LSE is not the most important anymore, and the one who is—he just walked out on me._

"_Fuck," I whisper. I quickly struggle up from the floor of the balcony and run out of the room. "Edward!" I yell. There's no answer. I run down the staircase and frantically search in the living room, the backyard, the kitchen, shouting out his name. He's not here._

_I burst out of the house and look about. The car is still standing out in the street. And sitting in the driver's side is Edward._

_I sprint to the car and yank open to the passenger side door, sliding into the seat slightly out of breath. _

"_Congratulations," he says in a voice just as dead as earlier. _

_This is the worst kind of Edward—the kind that's lost hope and doesn't find it necessary to even feel. _

_The kind that makes me scared as all hell._

"Edward, I was going to tell you," I say, begging for him to understand. "I re-applied some time back, but I swear I didn't expect to get in so late into the first semester. Gosh, baby, I…I really didn't expect this."

He turns to me with a sneer on his face. "So if I hadn't been the one picking up that call today, you'd have left again right? That was your plan, Bella?" Suddenly, his face grows thunderous, and he yells, "You were going to fucking run away again, weren't you? Fucking hell, Isabella Swan, you were going to leave me _once again_!"

I flinch. "I wasn't! I swear on my life, Edward, I wasn't going to run away! I never even _thought _about it." I'm clinging to straws here; Edward's losing it, and that's…that's not good. "I'm not going to go," I say quietly. "I'm not going to join LSE."

He snorts. "The fuck you aren't."

"Edward," I say in all seriousness, meaning every word I utter. "I'm not going to go," I repeat slower this time. "Frankly, I don't think I would have gone, not without you anyway. And obviously you can't leave for a whole year, so I'm staying right where you are. I just re-applied because…" _Why _did_ you re-apply, Bella?_ "…because I couldn't _not_ have," I whisper, my head hanging down.

He stares at me for a long time, and then he groans, his eyes close and his head falls back on the seat. "Why do you do this shit, _Carina_?" he asks in a pained voice. "Do you just love to give me a heart attack every once in a while?"

I sigh. "Of course not! I just…you know how much I've always wanted LSE." I decide to be truthful with him, not spare his feelings with the intention of not hurting him, while I'm sure not being completely honest would end up hurting him _more_. "When Jacob asked me to do the stint for him, and then Eric died…fuck, Edward, I wasn't thinking right. I just wanted to destroy everyone who caused Ange so much hurt. She's still not over it, you know this." I'd told Ange the parts of my current situation that I could, and we still talked on an almost daily basis. "But now that I think back to it, in the back of my head, my main drive was that I'd be seeing you again. At the time, it wasn't very clear, but I like to think meeting you again was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"Long story short, I was here when I was supposed to be in London, and I was obviously a little bitter about it, no matter if it was my choice. And after things were finally settling down between _us_…I thought 'Give it a try, Bella. You've wanted this all your life.' So I gave it a shot and re-applied. They told me that the chances of getting in were extremely slim, and honestly, I was a little relieved."

"You didn't think to tell me even once that you'd re-applied?" he asked, accusation strong in his eyes.

"Edward, didn't you just hear what I said?" I cup his cheeks in my hands. "I wasn't going to go anywhere you wouldn't be. I applied because…I don't know…because I could? Because I wanted to hold onto a sliver of a chance? I really don't know. I thought I would tell you only if _I_ was hundred percent sure about this. And I wasn't. I thought I should give it a try, and when the time came, I'll see what's to be done. Well…the time has come and I choose to stay right here."

He sighs and rubs his tired eyes, my hands slip from his face, and his large ones engulf mine in a tight grip. "I know better than anyone how badly you've wanted to get into a good college all your life, and I fucking hate it that I'm the reason you can't go. When did the boy say the semester was starting?" he asks without meeting me eyes.

_Where the fuck is he going with this?_ "Umm…in two weeks," I reply uncertainly.

He nods. After what seems like eons, his eyes rise to meet mine. "I want you to go, _Carina_," he says softly, so softly that I almost think I misheard him. But I didn't. I'm pretty sure I didn't.

"What?!" I shout. "How-you…I…_what_?"

"Don't make me change my mind about this, Bella," he says just as quietly. "You've wanted that degree all your life, and I'll be here when you get back."

He was having one of his rare moments where he talked like a dumb moron. _Asking me to leave without him. Right. Like that's ever happening. _

I throw my hands in the air exasperatedly. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you being this sacrificing martyr? Edward, I'm going to say for this last time—I'm not fucking going anywhere without you. Got it?"

"Bella, this is an opportunity you just can't—"

"I fucking can, and I _will_. You think I'd be able to survive without you on different fucking _continent _for one full year?" I really don't know where this sudden change in Edward came from. I swear I wasn't even going to tell him about LSE. Dammit, I wasn't going away from him. Not after he'd asked me to marry him, and especially not after we were going to buy a house together. Why didn't he just get that already?

"Fuck, Bella, you think I _want_ you to leave? No, goddammit, I DO NOT!" He holds me by the shoulder and shakes me. "Think about Rose and Em and how happy they'd be to see you finally achieving your dream. Think about LSE, and think about that degree with your name."

This should've been enough to make me stop and consider my options. But it isn't. There _are_ no other options. There's only Edward.

I shrug. "I'll go if you come along."

The heart has reasons that the mind could never hope to understand.

He goes absolutely still and lets out a frustrated sound. "You know very well I can't leave. Even with frequent visits…you know I can't leave the US for a year."

"Then it's all a moot point. Either we go together or I don't go at all. And I know you can't leave Chicago with all your…work here. Forget about it, Edward. Let's go home."

He starts the car and takes a sharp U-turn. He speeds down the streets of Chicago in his Aston, going at a limit that is illegal in probably all states. But I don't comment on it because I know he's taking his frustration out this way.

We sit in absolute silence until we reach the apartment. He unlocks the door, and I go into the kitchen to fix us something to eat. As soon as I open the fridge, strong arms wrap around my middle and Edward buries his face in the crook of my neck.

"There has to be another way, Bella. Some colleges out here should be affiliated with LSE; I'll look into it," he murmurs into my neck.

I sigh and turn around in his arms. I wait until he's looking into my eyes. "I already have, and there aren't any such colleges in Chicago. Edward, please don't blame yourself for this." I need him to understand that I don't blame him, so he needn't blame _himself_. "I'm here because I want to be. You know I won't do anything _I_ don't want to." I'm head-strong like that, and he knows it.

"So, it's final then? You're really giving it all up for me? The end of your life-long dream?" he asks, trying to convince me one more time.

I smile and lean into him, my mouth barely an inch away from his. "For _us_," I correct him. "And this isn't the end of my dream, baby, this is just the beginning."

"This is just the beginning," he repeats, finally understanding what I've been saying all along. "I love you," he whispers, and then bends down to kiss me. His lips barely touch mine when we hear a knock on the door.

We turn rapidly toward the intrusion and see Annalisa standing there with a sheepish grin on her face. "I made lunch, Miss Swan, Mr. Cullen. Do you want me to heat it now or later?"

I look at Edward, and he nods at me, still grinning from the almost kiss. I turn to Annalisa and say, "We'll take the lunch now, Lisa, thank you. Is there some root beer in the fridge?"

I absolutely love Chicago Root Beer; who the hell living in Chicago doesn't? She frowns and shakes her head. "I'm afraid not, Miss Swan."

Edward kisses the top of my head and leaves my side as he jogs to the door. "I'll be back in fifteen. Wait up, you two!"

"Edward, you don't have to—" I begin, but he's already out the door.

I turn to Lisa with a shake of my head. She's smiling over at me sweetly. Damn, I hate it when people smile in that…that I'm-so-sweet-and-harmless way; it gives me the creeps. I tried to get over my initial suspicions about Annalisa, I really did. But there's just something about her that sets my teeth on edge.

I tell her about the house we saw today, just to fill the silence, but we're interrupted with the turning of the key in the lock not even five minutes later.

_He's home so fast?_

No, he didn't even take the key. Fuck it's lying right in front of me.

"Lisa," I whisper, "go hide in the guest bedroom and call Edward."

I quickly take the gun out from one of its hiding places in the kitchen drawer and check for the magazine. With everything intact, I turn toward Lisa in confusion. _Why is she still here?_

She looks down at the gun in my hands and then looks up at me with fire in her eyes.

_What. The. Fuck._

"Are you going to kill _my_ son with that, Miss Swan?" she asks.

I hear someone step into the kitchen.

I whirl around and my eyes fall upon a familiar face. Someone I've hated since the moment I heard his voice.

Seth.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I seethe, cocking my gun under the breakfast bar where he can't see me.

Seth smirks at me menacingly. "Nice to meet you too, Bella. I'm Agent Seth Frank."

_Frank._

_Annalisa Frank._

"Fuck you," I spit out, letting the betrayal by Lisa and the anger wash over me for one instant. Then, I'm back to kick-some-ass-to-survive mode.

He simply chuckles and clicks his tongue.

Lisa walks over from my side to his, and that's when I really see it—that underlying similarity that only people belonging to the same gene pool possess. I look between the two of them, and Lisa's words echo in my head.

"_Are you going to kill _my _son with that, Miss Swan?"_

So, really, I was never wrong, was I? That intuition, that creepy feeling I got around Lisa _wasn't _meaningless.

"Wow," I whisper. I shake my head and chuckle darkly. "Really now, Mrs. Frank, for all the trust we placed in you, you let your _pig_ of a son walk in here to kill me?"

I think about how Seth can kill me right now. But then I think of the gun in my hand, and I think I need to be confident that I can survive this. Until Edward gets back, I'm going to have to stall them. And if things were to get ugly before he's back, I _will_ put a bullet through both their skulls if I have to. Not only for myself, but I'll do it for Edward.

She stiffens instantly and glares at me through narrowed eyes. "Don't you call my son a pig, Miss Swan, he's a respected Federal Agent—a much more prestigious job than what Mr. Cullen and his bunch of _goons_ do." She says this with so much venom in her voice; I'm surprised she could keep that obvious hatred under wraps for so long. "And he's not going to kill you." Her voice softens, and there's the creepily sweet smile again. "He's only here to talk some sense into you to leave this place and get away from this Mafia world. I do like you, Miss Swan, so I told him it was okay to use my key."

_Is this woman a fucking lunatic? _Does she _actually_ believe she's going to make me _leave_ Edward by making her stupid as fuck son "talk some sense into me"? Does she think she's doing me some sort of a favor?

She turns to her _son_ and smiles warmly at him. "Right, Seth? You're here to talk, aren't you? Tell Miss Swan."

One corner of Seth's mouth curves up in an ugly smirk, and in that instant, I know he's not here to "talk".

He's here to kill.

"Why don't you go sit on that barstool, Mother? I'll…talk to Miss Swan." His eyes stay locked with mine the whole time. _Talk_ indeed.

Lisa nods and follows her son's instructions obediently. She looks up at us with expectant eyes and an encouraging smile. _Oh God, can she fucking stop with the smiling already?!_

"Isabella," Seth says curtly, moving one step closer to me. I stand my ground, my finger ready on the trigger, and the gun hidden under the bar. He jerks his head toward my hand. "Why don't we start with placing the gun on the table, huh?"

I raise an eyebrow and jerk my head toward his waist where I know he's hidden his gun. "Yes, why don't we, Seth."

His smirk disappears and his eyes narrow. He curses under his breath as he pulls out his gun and places it on the bar. I do the same.

Fuck, I don't like it, but I have to do it.

The only thing between us now is the breakfast bar. "What the fuck do you want, asshole?" I begin, sounding disinterested.

I hear Lisa's sharp intake of breath, and she's about to protest, when Seth snorts and says, "Your head on a platter, fucking bitch."

That sure sends _Mother_ for a spin. I see from the corner of my eye as her eyes bug out and snap between Seth and me.

"You dream big, boy," I say with a chuckle and cross my arms over my chest. "But let's get serious here; what is this really about?"

He growls and slaps his hand down on the granite. And then he starts yelling. "You fucking slut, don't look at me like that! My boss, Jacob Black—you do remember him don't you?—your fucking fiancé murdered him! They brutally _tortured_ him, and they killed him, and now I'm going to kill you! Was he doing something wrong, huh, tell me?! All he wanted was to take down Volterra, and he fucking trusted you with that."

I can't help but let out a snort of laughter. "Is that what he told you, Frank? That's just sad. The boss you are here to claim my life for, is that all he fucking told you?"

He looks absolutely mad now; guess I pressed the right buttons. He leans across the bar and is now only inches away from my face. "Don't do this, Swan, you'll regret it. He told me _everything_."

I tap my finger on my chin thoughtfully, ignoring his red face hovering in front of me. "Hmmm. So then, I bet he told you that he was the one who overdosed Eric, my friend who died, remember him?" I wait for his reaction to that, and I'm not disappointed—there's the cluelessness. I continue. "Am I also mistaken to think he told you that he worked for the Cullens before joining the FBI?" His face says it all—he doesn't know shit. I grin, really starting to enjoy this now. "Tell me, Seth, did you know that Jacob Black forced a whore to make videos with him? Did you know that he dealt drugs down in China—"

"Shut the fuck up, you lying whore!" he yells.

Suddenly, and I don't know how, but he has a gun pointed at my head.

My throat closes up, and my face pales in terror. My eyes flit down to the bar, and the two guns are still there. Fuck, I didn't realize he'd be carrying more.

I was careless.

And in this world, carelessness can get you killed.

"Seth!" I hear Mrs. Frank shriek. She's at my side in an instant, I feel her, but my eyes stay locked with the murderous rage of Seth's red, crazy eyes.

"Jacob Black was a good man who died because of you!" he bellows and cocks the gun, the barrel merely inches away from my face. "And I'm not going to let my partner's death go in vain."

This isn't how I pictured my death would be. I was going to die beside my husband, surrounded by our grandchildren. Not this. Not a bullet to my head.

Several things happen in a few seconds. I hear the gun go off and close my eyes to my death, the last thought in my head, "_I would've given you four kids, baby, I would've given you anything. I love you so much, Edward._" Edward bursts through the door, shouting out my name, and my eyes fly open to get a last glimpse of him. I feel a mighty push to my chest, but not the kind that I expect. I expected to feel the pain of a bullet being ingrained into my skull, but all I feel is a stab of pain in my butt as I fall on the ground.

I feel a heavy body dropping on my stomach as the breath gets knocked out of me, and then…then I feel something wet soaking through the front of my shirt.

"Bella!" I hear Edward yell once again, and the weight is lifted off of me. I blink my eyes, my mind a complete and utter daze.

_Why am I not dead? What the fuck is happening?_

"Oh my God, Bella, oh fuck!" Edward's wheezing and he looks…he looks _scared_. For the first time ever, Edward looks like he's actually petrified to his very core. He checks me quickly for any injuries. "Oh, baby, oh my baby, are you all right?" He pulls me into a sitting position, himself crouched next to me on his knees, and holds me tightly to his body. He holds me so tight that I feel one with him, so tight that I can actually feel his heart beating against mine. In this moment, his touch is the only comfort to my rapidly beating heart and the ringing in my ears.

_I'm not dead._

_Then the body…? _

I look to my right, and there I see the body.

The dead body of Annalisa Frank with a hole right in the centre of her head.

She pushed me out of the way and took the bullet upon herself.

"Edward…" I whisper, my head going round in circles, and I feel the dizziness, the blackness overtaking me. "L-Lisa…she-she's…de-dead…" I start to sway in his arms and my eyes begin to drift close.

"_Carina_! Bella, Jesus fuck, Bella, stay with me!" His pleading voice begins to grow more and more distant as I feel the blackness drawing out every light, pulling me in deeper. "_Carina_, this isn't the time to faint, it could be fatal, hold yourself togeth—_Mio Dio_, BELLA!"

But I do faint.

_**~TETB~**_

"She'll be all right, Edward, have faith."

"What the fuck does faith have anything to do with this, Emmett? She'll be fine physically, I know, I'm not a motherfucking _babbos. _But the shit she just had to go through…fuck, Em, _why_?"

There's a long pause. And then, "I don't know, man, I don't fucking know."

"I know why she almost just _died_, you two motherfuckers! She was just on her deathbed because _you_, Edward Cullen, don't know the first thing about right and wro—"

"Rose, shut up!"

"Shut up? Emmett, you're telling _me_ to shut up? My sister just got almost killed because of some _stupid _vendetta and a bloody housekeeper and a Federal Agent out to avenge his boss' _murder _and _torture _by none other than your best fucking friend! And you're still telling _me _to shut up?!"

_So much yelling… Stop this nonsense!_

"Rose, you need to cool down. All this shouting isn't good for Bella. I can tell she's coming around." _Is that Emmett? Thanks, Em, I owe you one. _

Suddenly, I feel feather light touches over my forehead as Rose whispers softly, "Bella, honey, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes for us?"

No. Edward. I want Edward.

My wish is granted as I feel more calloused fingers down my cheekbones. "Please open your eyes, _Carina_," he says softly, only for my ears. "Look at me, my love. I'm here, and I love you so much."

A smile slowly begins to form on my lips, and my eyes drift open. But the worry and pain I see in Edward's eyes soon turns my smile into a frown. The look on his face is so distraught, like…like he just died a thousand times over. "Edward? Wha-what's wro—"

And as I finally come to my senses enough, the first thing that registers in my memory is the distinct sound of a bullet going off. Everything floods back with crystal clarity then, and one of many tears start to seep out of my eyelids.

"Is she dead?" I whisper, looking at nothing, staring at the ceiling. The pain I feel right now…it's _so_ intense, it cuts through my very gut. Someone-_Lisa _just _died_ protecting me.

He understands who I'm asking about, I think. I can't see his expression or reaction, but he says, "She died on the spot."

I take a deep, shuddering breath, screwing my eyes shut and letting the guilt, the hurt, the ache wash over me in tides. "And…and Seth?" I manage to gasp out between my silent sobbing.

There's a sudden coldness in his voice. "Chopped up into pieces somewhere in a dumpster."

"Shut your fucking mouth, Edward!" Rose admonishes him, instantly moving to sit at my feet on the bed. She presses my feet, trying to soothe the tension and says softly, "Do you want to sleep some more, baby?"

I nod, covering my eyes with my arm. I keep feeling the numbness in my chest where the dead body of Lisa fell on mine, the wetness where her blood seeped into my flesh. _She thought she'd been doing me a favor… _

"I'd like to sleep some more, Rose," I croak out in a quiet voice.

And then I drift off to sleep again.

_**~TETB~**_

I wake up to Edward placing light kisses to my neck. Smiling, I arch my neck a little to give him better access. I feel his lips turning into a grin against my skin.

"I bought the house," he mumbles, now kissing his way down my…naked?...chest.

"That's good," I pant out as he softly continues to place kisses over my nipples, teasing me. "What time is it?" I ask because I can't focus on the windows while I squirm on the bed with my mouth hanging open in need.

"It's six in the morning, baby," he says against my belly-button, his lips still kissing every inch of my naked flesh. And behold, he's naked as well! Fucking A. "You slept through the evening as well as the night."

"Hmm…" My legs tangle in the covers as they slide further down and cold air hits my heated center. I moan lustfully as Edward continues to kiss down my abdomen. I know what he's doing—he's replacing my pain with pleasure. But this time, I want to do this for _us_.

I guess that makes me brave enough to say, "Climb back up, baby. I want to try something."

His face is suddenly over mine, his mouth stretched in a goofy grin. "Sex position? Awesome!"

I laugh and kiss him on the lips soundly. "Yes," I say, smiling shyly. "Umm…do you mind if we try the…" _Dammit, why is this so tough?_

He rolls his eyes and kisses me on the nose. "Try what? Just say it, Bella. I'm not going to say no, no matter what you want to try!" he vows.

"Of course you aren't," I tease, chuckling. "Umm…the 69?"

His eyes glaze over and he smiles seductively at me. Never breaking eye contact, he lies down on his back on the other side of the bed. "Get your ass here, Swan."

I crawl over to his side, give him a quick kiss and a wink, and thenlower my ass on his face. He enthusiastically kisses and licks my pussy, eliciting wanton moans from me, sliding his tongue deep inside my opening. I lean forward and play with his cock, swirling my tongue over the head but not taking him completely in.

"Bella," he growls, almost in a scolding voice.

I smirk and lightly chafe my teeth over his entire length, and then bend my head down to suck it.

His tongue flickers all over my throbbing, soaking centre, and my saliva-covered lips embrace his glorious, hardened cock. He sucks on my hard clitoris, making it buzz with excitement. I take his cock all the way inside my mouth, wrapping my wet upper lips tightly around it. My fingers begin to massage his balls, his spread my folds further, and his moan of intense desire against my clit makes me go crazy.

Needing him to be filling me, stretching me, I get up, turn around, and sit on his still-hard cock. I feed it in slowly, squealing as it goes in deeper and deeper. When it gets all the way, I cry out his name again and again as he holds me by the waist and calls me a fucking goddess.

I scream in ecstasy and come all over his cock, shuddering as his hands pinch and pull at my nipples. He follows soon after, spilling his hot semen into me.

I collapse on top of his chest, panting like I just ran a cross-country marathon. With the amount of sex we have, I swear I never need to hit the gym again.

He lightly caresses my hair and kisses the side of my head again and again.

"You're really okay, _Carina_?" he asks, his tired voice laced with anxiousness. "About the whole Anali—"

I interrupt him right then. "Yeah…"

God, I don't think I can even bear to hear her name. Tears begin to pool in my eyes again and spill over on his sweaty chest. "Jesus, I'm sorry! Forget…forget I said anything. Just don't cry, love, please," he begs, pulling me up by my shoulders, and takes my face between his hands. His anguished green orbs stare into mine with such pure concern, that it causes more tears to flow out.

"I'll be fine, Edward," I say quietly. "It's not like people die because of me every day. I'll…I'll get over it."

He sighs and wraps his arms around me, anchoring me to his body, to the present, keeping me whole and sane. I rest my head against his chest as his rests on top of mine.

"Hold me tighter," I mumble out.

His arms immediately tighten around me.

And I swear to every Lord in every religion that nothing is ever separating me from this man.

* * *

**So? What do you think? I've wanted to write a 69 since as long as I can remember. Woohoo, I finally fit it in somewhere! **

**Leave your thoughts in the review box! Absolutely makes my day to read your words. **

**Lovin' each and every one of you SO much. **

**Oh, and there are a few more chapters to go, don't worry, I'm not done with them yet. A few loose ends to tie up, and then an epi :)) So I'm guessing about 6-7 more?**

**Thanks for being a part of this amazing journey with me *smooches* Don't you dare wipe that off!**

**Till the next time *grins***

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	28. Chapter 27: Normal?

**Heyy, guys! Here's the next chapter, and I'm finally on a schedule now. ALMOST. I wrote half of the next chapter, and what happens? My laptop crashes of course, just my luck! Well, they couldn't recover the data, so I'll get to writing again as soon as possible, but I'm not making any promises this time around. **

**Anyway, thanks sooooo much for all the love and awesome reviews you people leave me! I try to reply to as many as I can, but if I miss you out, I'll definitely reply in the next chapter! Y'all are so awesome *points to the sky***

**A big thanks to Ange, Heather, Jen and Phoebs. These girls are like the cream to my ice-cream. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 27**

**Normal?**

_Hey Macklemore, can we go thrift shopping?_

_Wha, what, wha, what?_

"Shake that booty, yo!"

Jesus. Ugh. Someone stop the torture please!

… _got twenty dollars in my pocket_

"Alice," I hiss, "I will kill you and chop the pieces up so nice and tiny that—"

"Sing with me, everyone!" the instructor wails.

There's a chorus of the next line: "_This is fucking awesome!"_

"This is fucking_ horrible_," I mumble, while copying the instructor's plies and flatbacks and pencil turns and jazz hands and kicks and some other jazz-y stuff. There was a dance workshop for the pregnant ladies in the gym of Edward and Jasper's building today, and Alice decided that we just _had_ to check it out. At seven in the morning. _Irritating midget. _

"No, Bella, we're losing calories _and_ having fun," she says excitedly, while the instructor yells, "Now time for afro jazz, people!"

_Who's having fun?_

Alice turns to me with twinkling eyes and a large grin, almost vibrating with energy, her hand constantly caressing her growing belly. "Afro jazz! Isn't that awesome?"

"No," I grumble. "This is for _pregnant_ women, for heaven's sake! Why am_ I_ here? I'm going back, Al."

"Because Rose wasn't available!" Her bottom juts out and her eyelashes go crazy moving up and down. "You have to do this for me, Bell! I'm carrying around a baby boy—they're much worse than baby girls—who constantly presses on my bladder and is my reason to abstain from alcohol. The least you can do is dance with me."

Kill me. Pronto.

"Fine, whatever." I roll my eyes and roll my tracks up further, open my legs wider, and bend down like I'm sitting on the pot. It's a disgusting pose, but apparently, that's how they do afro jazz.

And then some crazy tribal music starts playing, and everyone goes mad shouting and stomping and moving their arms about like hooligans while I just stare open-mouthed.

_Did I just transport into Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa?_

After about fifteen minutes of the madness, the instructor now yells, "Ladies, form an orderly queue! We're now going to start with Latin skirt dance!"

"Noooooo!" My wail of agony doesn't deter the pregnant Alice from pushing me toward the skirt stall. I pick a neon green skirt that I have to tie in a knot around my waist because it's actually meant for pregnant women.

And so it continues.

_**~TETB~**_

At eleven in the morning, after Alice has treated me to breakfast for enduring the hormonal overdose, I enter the apartment and shoot straight for the shower. As I massage my scalp with my Rainforest shampoo from The Body Shop, my mind wanders to the tangled mess that is my life right now—more tangled than my sweaty hair even.

Alice and Jasper had come back from their honeymoon four days early after hearing about the Seth incident. Jasper and Edward felt it was safer for them to be in the States for a while until things cooled down. While there were suspicions on Edward and some of the guys involving Jacob and Seth's deaths, the FBI had absolutely no solid proof to even bring them in for questioning. It was all a goose trail that led the FBI nowhere. Jacob had been pitted in public as a disgrace to the FBI, so they just buried his case deep. Seth, on the other hand, was a fresh kill, and the FBI followed Edward and Jasper wherever they went.

It was scary at times, but I didn't leave the building much these days anyway. Edward was staying out later than usual, sometimes coming home at three and, as Alice informed me, so was Jasper. When I'd asked Edward if the late nighters had anything to do with his plan for Chicago, he'd gone red and told me to "mind my own fucking business." That was the first night I'd slept in the guest bedroom.

We were back to normal once he'd said, "Bella, I'm sorry, but this is just how it is. I can't tell you, so don't ask me anything. But…this one time…yeah, my plan for Chicago is in its final stages." I understood that there were "rules" and he was keeping things from me for my safety, but I just couldn't help asking. Now, though, we don't really talk about his work anymore. Actually, we barely even get time to talk.

About the whole Annalisa thing on the other hand…I honestly still wasn't over it, even though I did a pretty good job of convincing everyone that I was. On the nights Edward wasn't holding me tightly against his chest, I felt the weight of her body on me, I felt the wetness of her blood on my chest and stomach, seeping through my clothes, and all I could do was curl into a ball and rock until sleep overtook me. It was maddening sometimes, but when Edward was here, he took the pain away with a single smile. But the thing is, Edward _isn't_ here the majority of time in the past ten days after the incident. We couldn't even hold a proper funeral for her because no one could know about her death. The woman who'd died protecting me…I wasn't even capable of giving her a final send away.

Rosalie didn't know about my acceptance to LSE—she would've probably kidnapped me, wiped out my memory of the last few months, and made sure I went to college. We decided it was best to keep it from her since I wasn't going to London. Edward and I were looking into an online course for foreign students or something of the likes, though—he'd insisted on this.

And tomorrow…it's my twenty-second birthday. I didn't want a big celebration since my twenty-first had been a _wild_ one what with it being a milestone and all. But it was weird that Edward hadn't mentioned anything about a party or even a simple dinner; he used to be so excited to celebrate the day I was born. Alice just said it in passing, knowing that I really wasn't up for one of her over-the-top bashes. Rose and Em were chill about whatever I wanted, but I knew they were going to gift me something ostentatious. Angela was going to be in Morocco for some social work assignment. Who else was there?

As I dry my hair, I have a feeling that I'm forgetting something important. Then, it strikes me.

_Ahhh…how could I forget? The annual card and one grand check from my parents… _

When we receive one on my birthday and one on Rose's, she scoffs and throws it straight into the trash. I usually stare at it for some time, then donate the money to an orphanage. The first time we received it at Rose and Em's new place, she'd been convinced that they had spies on us. Turned out, they had a medical directory. Anyway, I'd read the cards for the first two years and then all the rest followed Rose's into the trashcan.

The first time though, I'd cried all night when I'd read "Happy Birthday, Miss Isabella Swan. From, Renee Dwyer and Charles Swan, Forks, Washington. Printed and sent by Forks Post. If wrongly delivered, please return to the given address."

How could they be so heartless about it? If they were taking the pains of sending us a card, fucking hell pick up a ballpoint pen and write a fucking happy birthday, you morons!

I jump slightly while putting on my shorts when the intercom in the living room buzzes. I quickly pull my t-shirt over my head and sprint outside.

"Hello?" I say, pressing the button.

"Good morning, Miss Swan, a…Mrs. Renee Dwyer is here to see you."

"A-a," I stutter, stunned into speechlessness. "A _who_?"

"Mrs. Renee Dwyer. She looks a little like you; would she be your…mother? Should I send her up?" he asks uncertainly.

Seven years.

Seven fucking years later, she's here.

I haven't seen her face, haven't heard her _voice_ in seven years.

Renee Swan.

My _mother_.

Goddammit.

"No, I'll be down in a minute. Don't let her up, okay?"

I let go off the button without waiting for his reply, and after a few seconds of standing stock still, processing what just happened, I start to hyperventilate. Like, _really _hyperventilate.

My breath starts coming out in short pants, and my throat feels closed up. I stumble into the bedroom and frantically search for my phone. With shaky fingers, I immediately call Edward.

"Hello?"

_That's not Edward._

"Wh-where's Edward? I need to speak with him urgently," I rasp into the phone.

"Oh hey, Bella, this is Sonny. Skip's not here right now. He's in a meeting for the next three hours. Can I take a messa—"

"Tell him it's me, and I _need_ to speak to him RIGHT NOW. Something's come up with…Renee. Tell him this, Sonny, it's important as fuck. NOW," I command.

There's silence on the other side. Then, "Give me a minute." I hear a throat clearing on the other side after forty-three seconds—I was counting while pacing the room. "Skip says he's busy, and he'll call you as soon as the meeting's over."

I take a deep breath and pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers. "Did you tell him it was me and I said it was about Renee?"

"I did, Bella, but see this meeting's been scheduled for—"

"Tell him to shove the meeting up his ass," I yell into the phone and cut the line.

With anger and hurt and determination on my mind, I call my sister.

"Rose, get to Edward's building right now," I say as soon as she picks the phone up.

She must have heard the desperateness in my voice, as she immediately says, "I'm on my way, baby. Tell me what's happened?"

"Renee is here," I answer simply.

I hear her gasp, I hear her silence, I hear her curse like a sailor, and then I hear the screeching of tires. "The fucking nerve," she screeches. "I'll be there in twenty. Don't let her anywhere near you, and don't let her come into the apartment. Go down and meet her in the lobby where she can't create a scene and take the gun with you. You hear me, Bella?"

"I hear you, Rosie," I whisper, and pull the gun out from the bedside drawer and shove it in the waist of my shorts, hiding it under my oversized t-shirt.

As I enter the lobby, my eyes scan the place frantically, searching for that familiar face. I see her standing by the magazine stand, going through the various magazines on display. She looks so…so _normal_, like she didn't ruin my childhood with the constant fighting and shouting and blaming. _The neglect and the pretend… Oh God._ My parents were mentally abusive, physically, it didn't matter.

I walk toward her slowly, taking in her bellies, simple denim jeans, a light peach floral top, and a large handbag. She looks much the same as I remember her, except the wrinkles that come with age.

As I reach her, I lightly pat her on the shoulder to gain her attention. She turns, and I'm looking into my eyes reflected back at me—she has the same chocolate brown as I do.

A small smile in greeting forms on her lips and that's about the only emotion I see.

"Hey, Bella, how've you been?" she asks conversationally, like we're old acquaintances who've met in a chance encounter. Why the _hell_ is she here?

I raise an eyebrow. "It shouldn't matter now, should it? You didn't bother in the past twenty-two years how I was, why the sudden interest in my well-being?"

She sighs and chuckles like she's dealing with some brat. "You _are_ my daughter, Bella, my blood. Of course I care about you. Now tell me, how've you been?"

I cross my arms over my chest and stand my ground. She can pretend all she wants that she cares, but I know this woman like the back of my hand—she doesn't give a fuck. "What do you want? I know you aren't here because you suddenly give a shit, so just please tell me what this is about and leave."

She pretends to look wounded, but this mask she puts on, I've seen it way too much to let it affect me anymore. "Seven years since you and your sister left home," she scolds me. _Fucking bitch, scolding me like she has a_ right_ to._ "And this is how you talk to your mother when she seeks you out?" Without waiting for a reply, she goes on, her eyes now twinkling with mirth. "You should've told me that you and Edward are together again, a mother shouldn't be finding this stuff out from the papers!" She giggles and places her arm on my forearm like we're sharing a top secret.

My mouth falls open in disgust and I flinch away from her touch. "And _why _exactly would I have told you that, _Renee_?"

She shrugs and sighs, "Whatever." And then, _then_ she gets to the point. "Look, I need a favor."

I stare at her, uncomprehending, wondering if this woman has finally lost her mind. "You _what_?"

"I need a favor from you…no, well not you, your fiancé." _Even after all this time… Why did I even hope that maybe, just maybe she was here for me?_ "Phil is in debt with some of Volterra's bookies, and we don't have the dough to pay it off. They're gonna get his ass if he doesn't pay them off—mine too."_ Oh_ _God, why is she talking like this? Debt, dough, ass? What the fuck?_ "But considering that your fiancé basically runs Volterra, I thought I'd drop by and just ask you to tell Edward to tell them to back off." She smiles brightly at me like it's no big deal.

Just as I'm about to tell her to fuck off and never show me her pathetic face again, I look over her shoulder and see a fuming Rose, who I bet heard Renee's spiel, charging toward us like a bull—Renee being the red flag obviously.

I lunge forward just in time to tackle Rosalie's determined body away from Renee. Rose shouts and curses and waves her fists about as I haul her away from our shocked mommy dearest.

"You fucking emotionless piece of shit! How _dare_ you show your disgusting face here again after seven fucking years and ask Bella for a _favor_?! I will ki—"

I stopped her before she could make a death threat in public—I knew there were CCTV cameras here, and this could definitely be used to testify against her at any time. "Rose, calm down," I yell in her face, shaking her by the shoulders. "Everyone's staring," I hiss in her ear, and point with my eyes.

Her breathing finally slows down, and she looks at me with her eyes full of so much pain, hurt, anger and sorrow. It knocks the breath out of me, and I hug her tight, sharing her pain—we've always survived everything together, and we're going to weather this too. It's nothing compared to the shit Rose and I had braved all our lives.

"All this stress isn't good for the baby, honey. Please, try to calm yourself down and take a breath," I whisper in her ear. Rose is four years older to me, meaning she has four more years of vengeance against Renee.

I feel her anger slowly subside, then she lets go of me, gives me a small smile, and with narrowed eyes, turns toward Renee.

She walks up to her and points a perfectly manicured finger toward the main doors. "Get the fuck out of here before I have security throw your sorry ass out."

Renee gives her a cold stare, and then turns her icy eyes on me. "You won't help your mother in her time of need, Isabella?"

I cross my arms over my chest and snort. "I don't give a fuck about you and your _needs_ just like you never gave a damn about mine. Leave, and never come back."

She raises her chin high and looks at us in disdain. "Some daughters you two are."

And then, what I hope is for the last time, Renee Dwyer walks out of our lives for good.

Rose turns to me with a sigh and says, "Edward's working, I suppose?" I nod, and she continues. "You're not staying alone right now. Come over to our house."

"Give me a minute. I need to check on a few things, and I'll be there. You carry on without me." I hug her tightly one more time, and she kisses me on the cheek and points at her watch, telling me to be there soon before leaving.

I make my way to the apartment, deposit the gun where it was in the bedside drawer, check all the windows, lock up behind me and then head straight to the parking lot and to Rose and Em's. As I descend the elevators, I text Edward to let him know where I'll be even though I'm so, _so_ furious with him right now that I can't even think straight.

**Going over to Rose and Em's. I'll be home tomorrow, staying the night there probably. Will let you know if there are any change in plans. –B**

My life didn't revolve around his just like his didn't center around mine anymore. If he couldn't pick up the phone to talk to me, then I could sure as fuck spend a night with my sister and he shouldn't throw a tantrum over it. God knows he would've come home after two anyway; at least I won't get bored out of my mind till then.

_**~TETB~**_

I spend the evening with Rose, who took the rest of the day off from work, and we talk about shit. Just our normal everyday lives, Edward and my non-existent plans for the wedding, about Iron Man 3 and Hangover 3 and Man of Steel, then we move on to topics like how many times Lindsay Lohan has been arrested. Basically, we talk about anything to keep our minds off what just happened in the lobby of Edward's building.

Two hours later, Rose and I are in my old bedroom in our PJs, eating London Dairy ice cream, watching Magic Mike and giggling like teenagers. I love this—being here like this with my sister, being a kid again for some time. It's refreshing.

The incessant ringing of my phone brings me back to reality though. I knew it had to Edward, finally out from his meeting. Snort.

I see the caller ID and, of course, it's the busy man himself. I turn to Rose and say, "Do you mind if I step outside for a while?" I knew that Rose would lose her shit if she knew that Edward had ignored me when I'd _told _him it was about Renee. She was skeptical enough about our relationship as it is.

"Sure." She nods absent-mindedly and continues watching Channing Tatum strip.

I step out into the hall and make my way to the kitchen, where I plop down on the counter and stare at his name flashing back at me.

I finally pick it up halfway through the second ring. "Hi."

I'm taken aback when I hear his reply.

"_What the _hell_ is this, Bella?!" _he yells._ "You just leave to Emmett's for the night without talking to me about it first?"_

_What the fuck? _

Where does he think he can get off talking to me like that? And how _dare _he act like I'm the one who's committed a fucking felony!

I hop down from the counter in frustration and yell right back. "So, what, you're my fucking father now? I need your permission to go to my sister's place? Don't pull this shit on me, Edward, I won't take it."

He laughs a hollow laugh and says, "_Stop being a fucking brat, and get back to the apartment_ right now!"

_The fucking nerve…_

"Fucking make me," I say in an icy, blank tone.

"_Just because I was in a meeting and couldn't take your call for once, you do this shit to get my attention? First, you tell Sonny it's about Renee—what the fuck about her after _sevenyears_ now, Bella?! Second, I get a text that you're just leaving for the night? What the fuck is wrong wit'chu?"_

He thought I'd been lying about Renee to get his attention…

He thought _I _was lying to _him_. Period.

I don't even have the energy to yell back anymore. I just want to be done with this conversation so that I can go back up and snuggle with my Rose.

"Edward," I sigh into the phone. "Look, believe whatever the fuck you want to, ask your guard at the building if you think I'm lying. But just so you know, Renee was there today…in your building, asking for me. She wanted a favor, said her husband Phil Dwyer was in debt with some of your bookies and wanted me to talk to you about excusing him. I called you because I didn't know how to face her after all these years all alone. But you… Well I called Rose and she came over. So I'm staying the night, I don't care what you have to say about that honestly."

There's silence for a few beats, and I know he's processing all that I just said. Now that his anger has surpassed, he was thinking rationally again. He knows he's in the wrong here.

"_Bella…"_ he whispers, and I can hear the guilt in his voice.

I'm not eady to forgive him yet, though. I need time. I know I'll be ready tomorrow, I know I'll be craving his touch and his voice and his face so powerfully tomorrow that I'd have forgiven him no matter what he'd done.

Suddenly, the anger comes back full force. I start yelling again. "The next time your fucking_ fiancée _tells you that she needs to have a word with you desperately, maybe you should listen to her instead of thinking she's _lying_!" _Oh, baby, I'm in the flow now._ "And just the fact that you think I need to 'get your attention' should be enough to make you realize that you're not giving me any! I don't know what's up with you, but you need to get your priorities straight._ I_ come first, Edward, your _family_ comes first, not your work okay? Get this in your head, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"_Carina_, I don't—" he starts, his voice coarse and barely above a whisper.

"Tomorrow."

And with that, I cut the line.

_**~TETB~**_

Edward doesn't call again, but Emmett comes back around nine with a large bouquet of tulips and orchids. He hands them over to me and says, "He really is sorry, Belly button."

_Ugh, I already miss him terribly. God, I'm so easy._

I nod, take the gorgeous bouquet from him and put it on the counter. I fish out the card and open it up.

**I'm sorry, baby. Forgive me?  
I love you more than you love breakfast.  
Yours forever,  
Edward**

_Damn him for being so sweet and thoughtful and perfect! I just hate him!_

_But by Christ, I fucking love him._

I immediately feel like crying.

Instead, I call my man.

"I hate you!" I say as soon as he picks the phone. "Why do you have to do this shit, and then be so perfect and send me this cute as fuck note, huh?"

"Because I'm a flawed man, and you're perfect, baby, and I miss you so much. Am I forgiven?" Just hearing the adoration and anxiousness in his voice makes me love him a teensy bit more. Is it even possible to love someone this much? Wouldn't one just explode?

"I hate fighting with you, and I hate it when you yell at me, and then I can't help yelling back," I sniffle into the phone, running my hands over the pretty flowers. "Promise me you won't ever do that again!"

"I promise on my life I'll never think you're lying, and I'll _always_ be there for you," he vows. "Come back home, _Carina_?"

I laugh, feeling so content and jubilant and just…the _joy_. "Come and pick me up, you fool!"

_I do have the car, though_. Oh well, it wouldn't be as romantic then. He had to come pick me up.

* * *

**Sooo? How many of you hate Renee right now? I know I sure do!**

**Leave a review down here with all your thoughts and make my crappy Monday please *winks***

**Have a goodnight! **

**Till the next time *kisses***

**Follow me on twitter: bellstarfics**


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